One Plant a Week: Pawpaw

September 1, 2025 Harvesting Nature

This is the seventeenth post in our new series, One Plant a Week, where we learn a new, edible plant every week. That means that if you follow along, you’ll know 52 new plants after only a year of doing this. As our foraging expert guest, Pascal Baudar said on the Wild Fish and Game Podcast, it will make you more of a wild plant expert than 99.99999% of the population.

We recommend you go out and find these plants if they exist in your region. You don’t necessarily have to harvest them; simply familiarize yourself with them and get to know them well. See them in their different phases of life, in different terrains and conditions. See who else likes to eat them (Bears? Squirrels?), pollinate them (Butterflies? Hummingbirds?), or use them (Nesting birds? Muskrats?). Use plant ID apps, along with foraging/ID books, online resources, and mentors to teach yourself about them more and to get comfortable enough with them that you can ID to 100% accuracy.

Then, if you feel confident enough, bring some home and try preparing some to eat. Try doing this with different specimens in different stages of life to see when it is best to harvest them. Knowing these plants through and through will transform the way you interact with the outdoors, as well as the way you see food. A warning though: this is an addictive hobby!

An additional warning: Plant ID apps are not 100% accurate, and you should not be eating ANYTHING wild unless you are 100% sure that it is safe to do so. Do not rely solely on one source for your information (including us), and do not eat anything unless you’ve properly identified it.

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This Week is all About Pawpaw!

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is North America’s largest native fruit—a custardy, tropical-flavored treat hidden among the understory of eastern woodlands. Rich in vitamin C, potassium, and minerals, pawpaw offers a nutritional punch and a creamy sweetness reminiscent of mango and banana. Historically, Indigenous peoples prized pawpaw, and early explorers and settlers praised its flavor. Today, foragers revere it as a seasonal treat that connects us to heritage and wild flavor.

The pawpaw plant is a small tree or large shrub, growing in moist, shaded habitats such as creek bottoms and floodplains from the Gulf Coast up through the Great Lakes and into parts of the Midwest. It bears maroon-purple nodding flowers in spring, followed by clusters of oblong fruit that mature in late summer to early fall; usually August through September, depending on the latitude. The fruit is green until soft at the tips and fragrant, a reliable cue that it’s time to harvest.

Pawpaw’s flavor is extraordinary: it combines banana, mango, pineapple, and vanilla into a single, custardy bite. Indigenous groups ate it raw or used it in puddings; pioneer cooks included it in cakes and breads. In modern kitchens, it shines in sweet treats like ice creams, smoothies, custards, or as an unexpected twist in savory dishes like glazes or salsas. Its subtle sweetness and velvety texture make it both nostalgic and adventurous.

Description:

Pawpaw trees typically form a single stem or a small clustering patch, with bark smooth and grayish-brown. The leaves are broad, alternate, simple, and oblong (up to 12 inches long), often turning golden yellow in the fall. When crushed, the foliage emits a distinctive smell – slightly musty, sometimes described as a mix of green banana and cucumber.

In spring, look under the forest canopy for deep maroon to purple bell-shaped flowers that hang low, as pawpaw often blooms before the leaves fully unfurl. These flowers attract flies and beetles rather than bees, and fruit set can be modest, so cross-pollination by planting multiple trees improves yields.

Harvesting is straightforward: pinch the ripe fruit off gently or give a light shake; the ripe fruit often drops. They bruise easily, so handle them carefully. If too ripe and soft, enjoy fresh or peel and freeze the pulp promptly.

Be aware: while the ripe pulp is generally safe and delicious, some individuals experience mild stomach upset or skin irritation from compounds called annonacins (also found in similar tropical fruits). Always start with a small taste if you’re new to pawpaw, especially if you’ve proven sensitive to fruits like mangos in the past.

Lookalikes:

There are no true pawpaw lookalikes, though it may be easy to confuse the seedlings of other trees for pawpaw trees.

Young magnolia shoots: These also have large leaves, but magnolia foliage tends to be thicker and shinier—and magnolias are evergreen or semi-evergreen depending on species. Pawpaw trees have a distinct colony-forming growth habit and maroon spring flowers.
Ash seedlings (Fraxinus spp.): Ash leaves are opposite and compound (multiple leaflets), unlike pawpaw’s single, alternate leaves. This is often one of the easiest ways to distinguish them.
Non-fruiting understory trees: In early stages, other seedlings may look similar, but pawpaw’s unique flowering (in maroon blooms), large single fruit clusters, and leaf smell make it stand apart. Always crush a leaf gently to check for that characteristic scent.

Edibility:

The raw pawpaw fruit is like a handheld tropical dessert; creamy, smooth, and bursting with nuanced tropical flavors. People describe the sweetness as gentle and layered: bright banana top notes give way to mango-like richness, rounded by honeyed vanilla and a citrusy finish. The texture is soft, pudding-like, and melts on the tongue.

When cooked or blended, pawpaw retains its creamy body but becomes sweeter and more fragrant. Its rich base enhances baked goods, soups, and sauces, and it works well with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. A chilled pawpaw smoothie is like a tropical vacation in a glass, while pawpaw ice cream has cult-favorite status among wild food aficionados.

Collecting

Gently twist or give a light shake to pockets of fruit; ripe pawpaws will fall cleanly. Avoid bruising by placing fruit gently into a shallow container rather than piling them up. Start early in the season, as they ripen fast.

Storing

Refrigerate ripe fruit and use it within 3–5 days. If you want to hold them longer or preserve them for later, remove the skin and large seeds, then gently freeze the pulp in airtight containers or bags. Thawed pulp is ideal for baking, smoothies, or custards.

Processing & Eating

To eat raw, scoop out and discard seeds and skin. For cooking, use pulp in desserts like custards, quick breads, pancakes, or ice cream; incorporate into sauces for game or poultry; or whisk into oatmeal or puddings. Pawpaw pairs well with maple syrup, bourbon, nutmeg, and brown butter.