It's paw-paw blooming time! Although the paw-paw is found throughout Missouri, locating them can be difficult. They grow in colonies and you really have to look to identify them. They can get up to 30 feet tall, though I've never seen one that big.
As you can see above, the flowers appear before the leaves. They are supposed to emit a smell similar to fermenting grapes. I've never gotten close enough to sniff one. Haha!
Paw-paws occur in dense shade on moist lower slopes, ravines, valleys, along streams, and at the base of wooded bluffs. These were found along Johnny's Hollar on the Jacks Fork River.
From Missouri Conservationist:
Native Americans actually used the inner bark of the tree to weave fiber for clothes, while the pioneers used the same material for stringing their fish.
In late summer/early fall the paw-paw produces its fruits. They are usually a little smaller than a fist, green, soft, and taste and smell a little like a banana! They're delicious, but getting to them before the deer is difficult.
Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned!