The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Prolific pawpaw

Family: Annonaceae (custard-apple family)

Distribution: Species native to e. North America

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Deciduous tree

Comments: Prolific Pawpaw is a heavy-bearing selection with large and delicious, early-ripening fruit with a taste some think is similar to banana. It is a deciduous, small, understory tree that, in some instances, can grow to 30' tall. Flowers are dark maroon, produced in late April to early May and, smelling like overly ripe fruit, are attractive to flies and bats.