Asimina triloba Shenandoah - Pawpaw

The Asimina triloba 'Shenandoah' is a small, exotic-looking fruit tree that produces huge fruits resembling mangoes. Formed late in the season (October), they have a sweet and sugary taste reminiscent of mangoes and bananas. Although not widely spread in France, it is a hardy tree in our territory. Its slow growth and small size make it suitable for planting in all gardens, even small ones. It is relatively easy to cultivate, thrives in neutral to acidic soil, is not too dry in summer, and is preferably in full sun.

The pawpaw tree is the only representative of the tropical Annonaceae family in temperate climates. Nine species are present in the United States, with Asimina triloba being the hardiest of all (even in the far south of Canada). It is a small tree that grows slowly, with a well-branched and bushy appearance. Its habit is generally oval, sometimes even pyramidal, on a relatively short trunk, even branching from the ground, giving it more the appearance of a large bush than a tree. The large, narrow, single leaves, about 25 cm (10in) long, hang lazily towards the ground, giving it a characteristic and evocative tropical look. In autumn, they turn a bright yellow, which is quite striking. Its 6-petaled flowers form beautiful burgundy bell-shaped blossoms in April-May, although their modest size (3-4 cm (1-2in)) and often isolated distribution on the branches offer limited appeal. They appear on old branches.

The Asimina triloba 'Shenandoah' can reach a height of 5 m (16ft) and a width of about 3 m (10ft). This variety was selected by the American specialist Neal Peterson from a seedling of the Overleese variety. This 'Shenandoah' variety has been chosen for its large fruits, approximately 6 cm (2in) in diameter and 11 cm (4in) long (about 500 grams), with green skin and yellow flesh of excellent quality. The flesh, with a creamy texture, has a sweet and sugary flavour, and the fruits contain few seeds. It is a very productive variety, with fruits ripening in October. Being self-fertile, it is necessary to plant another variety of pawpaw trees nearby for pollination and fruit production. The nickname 'northern mango' for the pawpaw tree comes from the evocative shape of the fruits, with green skin even when ripe. At the same time, the sweet flesh resembles the taste of mangoes and bananas (which is why it is sometimes also marketed as Indian banana or poor man's banana). The fruits contain about ten large black seeds and should be harvested when the flesh becomes tender. Harvesting should be done gently, and the fruits can even be picked up from the ground. They should be consumed quickly (they only keep for a few days at room temperature) or stored in the refrigerator (up to 2 weeks). The pawpaw tree has a delicious taste and a high nutritional value (especially rich in vitamins A and C). Americans consume it fresh or prepare it as juice, sorbet, cake, etc.

The Asimina triloba 'Shenandoah' will find its place in an urban garden, possibly near a wall to protect it from strong winds. Its slow growth should not make us forget to leave enough space for its future development. It is also important to plant it in pairs to allow cross-pollination and ensure fruit production. Although primarily a fruit tree, its ornamental value encourages us to associate it with other decorative plants. It can be integrated into an exotic-looking garden, combined with a Japanese Banana Tree (Musa basjoo) with its evocative tropical aesthetics, which is hardy in our climate. Another fruit tree with foliage reminiscent of southern regions, the Fuyu Persimmon (Diospyros 'Fuyu'), will also be a good companion for this pawpaw tree, as well as the Hardy Orange (Poncirus trifoliata), a small hardy citrus. To highlight its autumnal colours, it can be associated with orange or red-coloured plants as winter approaches, such as the Golden Sweetgum (Liquidambar 'Golden Sun'), whose yellow spring foliage turns green during the season before colouring purple-red in autumn, creating a permanent contrast with our little pawpaw tree.