Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
When they first open, pawpaw flowers are green and odorless. But as they mature, they turn wine red, producing a floral scent created by a complex and unusual mix of chemicals. Sometimes described as smelling like carrion, the pawpaw’s floral odor is chemically similar to rotting fruit or baker’s yeast. A hint of fermentation tricks flies and other unlikely pollinators with an alluring smell. Pawpaw produces many flowers, but few fruits—and each fruit contains only a few large seeds. Sometimes fewer than one in a hundred flowers successfully produces a fruit.
Botany Break-Out
Pawpaw belongs to the tropical custard apple family, but in the Americas this species reaches into southern Canada and the midwestern United States, a geographic range perhaps extended with the help of people. Pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to North America and with its delicious mango-banana taste it is increasingly cultivated and appreciated.
