Pawpaw Tree Care & Growing the Asimina triloba Tree
The pawpaw tree feels somehow ancient and vintage, but also new and friendly. Like something you could grow as a skilled gardener or as a total novice. Plant Asimina triloba, and it will probably just do its thing. Find a comfortable home in the settings it likes and wait. Be patient and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful leaves and an understated exoticism. This tree hasn’t got time for perfection. Give it some water regularly and let it loose in a suitable spot and you’ll soon have a easy to grow tree on your hands. Forgiving, tough and much less needy than a lot of troublesome fruit trees. Really. That’s reason enough to grow one.
Establishing Your Pawpaw Tree
Growing them easy doesn’t have to be hard. As long as you follow their lead. Asimina triloba likes plenty of moisture but well drained soil. You’ll often find them on the edges of woods or gardens with lots of composted material mixed in. A consistent watering schedule in the first few years will ensure deep roots. Once established they can tolerate a lot and are very adaptable. This makes them feel low maintenance. They aren’t quick growing but they won’t rush you either. Give the plant time to strengthen and establish an even canopy and you’ll rarely need to do anything to keep it shaping the way you want. In its hardiness zones it enjoys warm weather and know how to respond when it comes. Trees also enter a dormancy phase when it’s cold so there’s no need to worry about that extra boost of growth come winter. It’s this consistency that makes cultivating Asimina triloba feel like a long-term investment.
Caring for Your Pawpaw Tree
As long as you stick to a moderate schedule, caring for your tree can be a breeze. This tree likes water and will appreciate being watered regularly if your area is experiencing a dry spell. Once it’s rooted in you won’t need to water as frequently. Shoots come from the base of the tree so mulching around the bottom can help keep soil moist and encourage steady root growth. Like it would under tree cover in the wild. You can fertilize lightly but there’s no need to go crazy. They are content with what they get. In fact, when planted in their hardiness zones the tree readily adapts to changing temperatures without stress or forcing you to react. The leaves shade the ground beneath nicely too which helps to regulate and support the microclimate around your tree. If you’re a gardener that prefers to let plants fill in the space around them instead of constantly pruning and managing, this tree will feel like it was made for you.
Pawpaw Tree Rewards
The joy of growing a Pawpaw Tree comes with time. Watch your Asimina triloba tree mature into a majestic shade tree with handsome tropical foliage. Unusual and eye catching compared to the typical tree options you’ll find at a garden center. It has a way of seeming accessible. It’s a fruit tree that doesn’t scare you off. Plus in its growing zones, this baby knows what to do. Each season you’ll watch it react accordingly and grow a little bigger without much work on your part. It becomes another plant you care for every season, not a project left only for Summer or struggling to survive in Winter. You plant it, and it finds a purpose in your space. That’s worth growing for me.
