“Who Will Stop the Rain?” — I think a lot of us have been wondering this lately. After seeing problem after problem at almost every property I have visited recently, I decided to write about trees that like wet feet.
"Stop and Notice Me" said the Pawpaw Tree
Last weekend I was in southern Ohio, working on a personal building project that needs to reach a certain stage of completion while the dry summer weather persists. Usually a time of relaxation, my weekend visits to this site have become slightly stressful due to time constraints. As I moved about the building frame, I kept dodging low branches from several Pawpaw trees growing about the place.
✅Pawpaw
General Info
Latin Name - Asimina triloba
Native Range - New York to Florida, west to Nebraska and Texas
Growth Rate - Medium
Mature Height - 15–30’
Mature Spread - 15–20’
Arborist Thoughts
Our largest native edible fruit tree in North America, Pawpaw is easy to grow (in full sun to shade), adaptable to most soil types and has no significant disease or pest problems.
Interesting purple flowers in Spring give way to edible greenish yellow fruits in late Summer. Flavor is similar to banana/pear/mango.
Great tree for edible landscaping or naturalizing in low areas or edge of woods. Has been used successfully as a street tree in some Columbus neighborhoods.
Host to Zebra Swallowtail butterfly.