Asimina triloba Summer Delight - Pawpaw

The Asimina triloba 'Summer Delight' is a variety of Pawpaw tree particularly interesting for its earliness. Quite vigorous, this small fruit tree, which can reach 6 m in height, bears fruit as early as late July. Medium to large in size, resembling green mangoes slightly tinged with yellow, the fruits have a tender, almost creamy flesh, revealing aromas of mango, banana, sometimes also melon. Despite its tropical appearance, this tree is very hardy in our temperate climates, even semi-continental, thriving in cool and fertile soil and in sunny exposure, or even in partial shade in the south. To obtain a harvest, it is necessary to plant another pollinating variety nearby.

The Pawpaw tree is the only representative in temperate climates of the tropical family Annonaceae, which includes, among other fruit trees, custard apples, soursop, cinnamon apple, and the famous Ylang-ylang, used in luxury perfumery. There are about ten species of Pawpaw trees, but only one is hardy in our climates, the Asimina triloba. Native to the eastern United States, from New Jersey to Florida and Texas, this tree reaches heights of 10 to 12 m in those regions. It is found in non-calcareous, rich, fresh, and even humid soils, growing spontaneously in alluvial deposits along watercourses. Arriving in Europe as early as 1736, this plant remains largely (and unfairly) unknown, although it is cold-resistant. It even blooms in northern France, but due to insufficient warmth, it will rarely bear fruit there. Further south, it will perform much better, forming a shrub of a few meters that will easily find its place even in small gardens.
'Summer Delight' is a variety credited to Cliff England, who, along with Jerry Lehman and David Lavergne, has worked extensively to enrich the range of Pawpaw trees. The tree has a more or less pyramidal habit, reaching a maximum height of 6 m with a spread of 3 m, but generally staying at 4-5 m in height, especially as it can be pruned if necessary. Like other varieties, it bears long trailing leaves, measuring 15 to 25 cm in length, slightly obovate in shape (the widest part being in the upper third). The leaves are glabrous, of a medium green, with short petioles, and turn yellow in autumn before falling to the ground, as the plant is deciduous.
In March-April, solitary flowers bloom on one-year-old branches, consisting of three green sepals and six petals ranging from brown-purple to dark red-wine. Measuring 4 to 5 cm in diameter, they are not particularly ornamental and require pollination by another variety's pollen. Therefore, you will need to plant another Pawpaw tree nearby to ensure harvests. After fertilization, the flowers develop into fruits that strongly resemble mangoes, enhancing the plant's tropical appearance. This variety is very early as the fruits appear from late July to mid-August. They are medium to large in size, typically weighing between 230 and 340 g. The thick skin is green, more or less tinged with yellow, and the inner pulp is yellow and contains few seeds compared to other varieties, which is an advantage. Tender, the flesh is often described as creamy, akin to ripe avocados, surprising with its unique taste blending mango and banana flavours, with a hint of melon. The fruits should be harvested when ripe, just before they naturally fall (they should be soft to the touch). They can then be eaten fresh or used to make ice creams, sorbets, juices, or compotes. Pawpaw is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as amino acids and trace elements. The fruit does not keep for long in general, but a bit longer for this variety, about two to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Somewhat demanding in terms of soil, which should be cool and fertile, and exposure, sunny and sheltered from wind, although it tolerates partial shade in the south, the Pawpaw tree appreciates semi-continental climates, with cold winters (resistant to -20°C, even -25°C) and hot summers. Its tropical appearance is particularly exotic and interesting for creating an original scene in the garden. Plant alongside it a Diospyros with beautiful glossy leaves of exotic appearance and orange fruits equally decorative and succulent. A Blue Passion Flower will complete the picture with its fascinating flowers that are unmatched in evoking the lushness of the tropics.

For a bit of history, it was the French botanist Michel Adanson (1727-1806) who named the plant, simply Latinizing the name Pawpaw given by French colonists in Louisiana. The tree is mainly cultivated in the southern United States as a fruit species, and a fermented beverage is extracted from its fruits in Pennsylvania.