Asimina triloba - Pawpaw - Seeds

Description

• Annonaceae Magnoliales
  (the largest family of primitive flowering plants - 110 genera, over 2400 species - includes tropical and subtropical vines, shrubs and trees, some of which produce delicious fruits such as Cherimoya, Soursop, Cinnamon apple, or are used in perfumery like Ylang-ylang)
• North America
  (eastern half of the USA, in 26 states excluding coastal regions, up to Nebraska-Texas in the west, up to Mississippi-Georgia in the south, up to Ontario in the north)
• H 4-6m x W 2-3m
•  Z5 
• Synonyms: Asimina, Pawpaw, Asimina glabra, Annona pendula, Asimina campaniflora
• 1 packet of 5 beans

Seasonal Product
Available from October
Shipped from October to February

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Details

Asimina triloba is the only representative of the Annonaceae that comes from temperate regions
Very hardy, the Pawpaw can endure temperatures down to -25°C

It is an ornamental and fruit-bearing shrub or small tree, with deciduous foliage
It requires very little care, and is very easy to grow
However, it does not like windy situations, spray, excessive heat and aridity

The Pawpaw has light green, alternate, simple, and slightly drooping leaves, pleasantly aromatic (the whole plant has a resinous smell of turpentine, the whole plant is poisonous)
Leaves are wide and measure 20 to 30cm long
They turn bright yellow in autumn, offering a show as somptuous as that of the Ginkgos

The port is pyramidal in a sunny position, spread out and rounded in the shade
Flowering begins in March-April, before the leaves appear
It is staggered and can end in May
The flowers, solitary, numerous, brown-red to dark wine-red, have 3 petals
They look like big bells, and measure about 5cm

They are eventually followed by green berries resembling small mangoes, and which contain 2 rows of large beans (2 to 4cm long) brown-black
The berries are generally gathered by 2 to 5 on a short peduncle
They grow gradually during the summer until they reach 15-20cm

Their flesh is very nutritious, rich in antioxidants, yellow, with a creamy texture like that of a ripe avocado, sweet, and delicious
Its tropical aromas call to mind those of banana, mango, melon, pear, cherimoya, and pineapple

The Asimines are harvested mature, between the end of August and the beginning of November depending on the variety, when their skin takes on a few yellow highlights, the fruit becomes slightly soft, and a fragrance of tropical fruit appears

Fruit characteristics vary greatly with the genetics of each plant
More than sixty cultivars are listed for fruit production, and new cultivars are constantly being developed to domesticate the species

Some examples of these variations:

• Aromatic bouquet (profile, richness, power)
• Sugar content and acidity
• Color (very pale yellow to intense orange)
• Weight (100 to 500g)
• Number of fruits per plant
• Pulp to seed volume ratio

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How to Use the Fruit

Pick the Asimines on the Pawpaw-tree, when they begin to ripen (once ripe, Asimines are quickly attacked by birds and the fruit fly, and they fall and get smashed)

Store in the refrigerator at this stage, up to 2-3 weeks
Finish maturing at room temperature for 2-3 days before eating
The shelf life of fully ripe Asimine won't exceed 48 hours
They spoil quickly, darken, and their aromas evolve and become less pleasant: their marketing is therefore difficult, hence their absence from shops
Hence the value of growing Pawpaw-trees in your garden

Asimine is absolutely delicious fresh

Its skin is bitter, inedible
The bean should not be eaten by mistake because it contains toxic alkaloids that cause gastric disorders
PS: The fruit is toxic before maturity

In the event of a large harvest, the pulp can be extracted automatically with a tomato mill, which will automatically remove the inedible parts
The pulp can then be stored in the freezer, or used immediately as an ingredient in various preparations
For example: pies, cakes, crème brûlée, ice cream, smoothies, fermented drinks (beer, lemonade, etc.) and alcoholic drinks (wine, brandy, etc.), sauces and chutneys, jams, uncooked pulp in yoghurts, etc.
Note that cooking eliminates a lot of aromas

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Cultivation

Asimina triloba seeds should be stratified all winter and not be dehydrated
If you receive them before the sowing period, you can leave them in their zip bag and place it in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator, or sow them immediately and expose them to the cold

They are sown early in the year, around February, in a deep container filled with potting soil kept moist, outside

Germination remains invisible for a long time because the plant begins by establishing a taproot
Young shoots do not appear until June

It is necessary to water and fertilize the young Pawpaws regularly so that they never suffer from thirst, without ever drowning their roots in water (they would rot)

During autumn, transplant your young Asiminas separately into very deep pots, so that they will continue to grow their taproot

Pursue cultivation in the nursery for an additional year before planting in the ground in the final location next fall

Growth is slow for the first few years, until the plant has finished establishing its root system
Then it becomes quite fast

Asimina triloba needs deep, acidic to neutral, fertile, well-drained soil that remains fresh in dry periods (in the wild, Asimina triloba is often found near moist places in wooded areas)

First fruiting of plants grown from seed = between 4 and 10 years, depending on care and growing conditions
For fruiting, Asimina triloba must:

• grow in full sun
• be in the vicinity of at least 1 other individual of different genetics (not self-fertile)

If you want to establish a Pawpaw orchard, space the plants 3m apart and the rows 5-6m apart
Pruning is not necessary
Just remove the dead branches in winter, and prune the branches that get in the way
Avoid pruning low branches to clear the trunk (naturally bushy growth), this affects the Pawpaw-tree and it will fruit less - the trunk may also crack in winter

Varieties are propagated by split grafting on 2-3 year old scions