Asimina Sunflower - Pawpaw

Asimina Sunflower is a variety that produces large fruits with pale yellow skin and flesh, with few seeds, and very tasty. The texture and taste of asiminas are a cross between mango and banana. This variety, originally from America, is self-fertile: a single tree is enough to produce fruit, although fruiting will be more abundant in the presence of multiple asimina trees. The Asimina tree is a rare small tree that takes time to establish but is very hardy.

Asimina triloba or Paw Paw is a small tree with tropical appearances while being perfectly adapted to temperate climates, enjoying fairly warm summers and cold winters. Fruit production begins when the plant reaches 2 to 2.50 m (7 to 8ft), which is around 3 to 6 years. These fruits, appearing alone or in clusters on the branches, are edible.

Asiminas are large oval berries that can measure up to 15 cm (6in). The skin is green-yellow in colour when ripe and contains a creamy pulp, usually yellow, dotted with large black seeds. The taste and texture of asimina are reminiscent of both mango and banana. The fruits are harvested when they become soft to the touch and ready to fall. The harvest lasts about twenty days, around the month of September. Once harvested, the fruits can be stored for a few days at room temperature or one to two weeks in the refrigerator. Peel the fruits and remove the seeds before consuming. You can eat them fresh or make ice cream, sorbets, juices, or compotes. Asimina is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as amino acids and trace elements.

Little known, the trilobed Asimina tree is a shrub native to the United States and Canada and belongs to the Annonaceae family. The floral buds, round in shape, appear in the axils of the leaves in summer and will open in the following spring, around the month of April, just before the new leaves appear. These are bell-shaped flowers, 5 cm (2in) in diameter, with 6 purple petals. They appear alone or in small clusters on the branches. This variety has the characteristic of being self-fertile. A single tree is enough to produce fruit, although fruiting will be more abundant in the presence of other asimina trees.

The Asimina tree has a pyramidal habit and can be trained in a goblet shape to facilitate harvesting. When fully grown, it can reach a height of 5 to 10 m (16 to 33ft) with a width of about 3 to 5 m (10 to 16ft). In the garden, with regular pruning, this tree can grow to a height of 3 m (10ft) with a width of 2 to 2.50 m (7 to 8ft). Its growth is slow, especially during the first few years as the Asimina tree develops its root system. This small deciduous tree is very hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as -25°C (-13°F). Its leaves are alternate, rather trailing, and elongated oval in shape. They are green in summer, turn a beautiful yellow colour in autumn, and then brown and fall off.