![]() ![]() Wildlife loves the sweet-tasting fruit they also benefit from the nutrition it provides. If you live in bear country, you probably already know that. The Paw-Paw fruit is a favorite of local wildlife. The taste is much like a combo of mango and banana. If you squeeze it and it’s mushy like a mango might be, it will taste great. If you squeeze it and it’s still hard, it is still green and does not taste good. The fruit is best to eat when it is mushy. When you shake the tree, green fruit will stay attached to the tree, and ripe fruit will fall and be void of ants for a time. Since the Paw-Paw fruit on the ground is so sweet, it quickly attracts insects. The fruit does have seeds, much like that of the persimmon. The fruit on the ground often attracts ants as it ripens. You will notice the fruit ripens in mid-August and September. It is green and, after it falls, it turns yellow and eventually black spots will appear. On average, the fruit of the Paw-Paw is the size of your fist and resembles a pear. The odor attracts blowflies, beetles and other insects that aid in pollination. It has a slight odor, similar to that of rotten meat. It is a small maroon and purple bell-shaped blossom about an inch across. The flower is a maroon blossom that appears in April and May. The Paw-Paw tree’s leaves are long, thin and flat. It is also the only member of the tropical Annonaceous family found here. The Paw-Paw is the largest fruit tree native to the United States and can grow to 35 feet. Where you find one, you will find many more. Young Paw-Paw trees seem to grow well in partial shade and can provide excellent cover for wildlife. They grow in well-drained areas and flourish in full sun or partial shade. You can find Paw-Paw trees in low-lying areas close to creeks and streams. Imagine an oval line reaching from Nebraska to southern Ontario, around New York and down to Florida, over to East Texas and back up to Nebraska you have just circled the regions where the Paw-Paw tree can be found. ![]() You can find the Paw-Paw tree in the eastern, southern, and midwestern states of the United States and southern Canada. ![]()
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