Paw Paw is also known as Indian Banana, because its fruit resembles a short fat banana and tastes very similar too. It grows in well drained wet areas on hillsides, in ravines and requires full to partial sun. These beauties were growing along the Missouri River Bluffs and I shot these photo's in early May on while backpacking in Indian Cave State Park in Southeastern Nebraska. The foliage hadn't even filled in yet.
Where Do They Grow?
The Paw Paw's native habitat is in the Southeastern United States, but these were growing in Southeastern Nebraska. Since deer love its fruit, the habitat they grow in is becoming more diverse. The National Park Service has noticed they are growing in drier areas and contribute this to the deer spreading the seeds through their droppings. This is one species that we don't mind spreading around. You can also grow them in a pot as long as it's quite wide and very deep.
Identification
While Paw Paws can reach hights of up to 40', they rarely do and you'll mostly find them the side of a large bush. The leaves are long and slender reaching lengths up to 20" long and three inches wide. They are wider at the tip, grow in an alternate patern and have deep veins feathering up the spine.
The flowers are brown to a deep purple to red and even white. They are velvety in texture, with widths up to 3 inches and bloom from March to May and have a very unpleasant smell similar to rotting flesh. They have 3 large outer petals and 3 smaller inner petals.
The fruits, which are the prize are the largest native to North America. They grow in clusters like bananas, with the skins being unpalatable like a bananas as well. They start out green with black spots ripening to a yellow, are 3-6 inches long and can weigh up to a pound a piece. The inner flesh is nothing like a banana though. It's quite mushy and needs to be eaten with a spoon. Watch out for the seeds, which are scattered throughout the flesh, since they are not edible. The best description of the flavor is banana with undertones of pineapple, mango and coconut. They are usually available from the end of August to mid-October.
They have no serious problems with infestations and require very little care. The flowers are described as being a deep purple, but these are dark rich red.
Random Facts
The Paw Paw are the only variety of the Family of tropical plants called Annonaceae that grow in the temperate region and are a small understory growth.
Though they look like a single tree, they grow in patches, which connect by the roots. Often the others in the bunch are so far away, you'd never think they were part of the same patch.
They cannot pollinate themselves, so need to receive the pollen from a different plant with flies and beetles being their primary pollinators. Paw paws are actually the most common sapling that's encountered in many National and State Parks in the Southeastern United States.
These are great for a rain garden adding a little ornamental value for a short period, but when the fruits deliver it's worth cultivating. You'll want to see if you can tolerate them first, because in some people they cause stomach upset and even a skin rash from handling the fruit. Only the fruit is edible. Even if they don't bother you, you'll only want to eat small quantities. Of course, the wildlife love them, so you may have to be very proactive to ensure any are left for you, lol.
Are Paw Paws Medicinal?
According to Dr. Jerry McLaughlin the Paw Paw contains Annonaceous Acetogenins, which seem to have anti-cancer properties and a use as an insecticide, including against lice and even treat herpes. I'm sure it needs a special preparation, because just touching the leaves and bark can irritate the skin.
There were products produced in the past using this ingredient, but because of a lack of FDA approval they never made it to the mainstream retail market. The concentrations of this compound tends to be present in the branches, but the amounts are erratic.
I'll definitely be visiting this beautiful place again this year and later in the season. I'm hoping to find the leaves filled out and the fruits growing. I think I'll also take a cutting or two and try to transplant it my Permaculture Paradise.
For more information click here and here.
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