Asimina triloba (F)

RHS

Other common names

false banana, papaw

Fruit Edible Shrubs Trees

Buy this from Plant Nurseries
9 Suppliers

A shrub or small tree with oval leaves up to 30cm long, turning yellow in autumn. Purple-brown, cup-shaped flowers up to 5cm across are produced in late spring, followed by egg-shaped, edible fruit upto 12 cm long,yellow-green at first, ripening to yellow-brown

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

4-8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 20–50 years
Max Spread: 4-8 metres
Max Height: 4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Annonaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Asimina are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees, with broad or narrow, oval leaves. The purplish flowers are followed by sweet, pulpy, greenish or yellow fruits
Name Status: Correct
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit
Plant Range: SE Canada to C & E USA

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun in acid or neutral, moist but well-drained soil. Needs long, hot summers to become a tree and produce fruit, otherwise grow as a multi-stemmed shrub

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in autumn, or by layering in autumn, or root cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Mediterranean climate plants
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free