MISSOURI STATE SYMBOLS   STATE FRUIT TREE   Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

 

The pawpaw, paw paw or paw-paw is a native tree known for the fruit it bears in the late summer through early fall. The fruits are green on the outside, yellow on the inside and grow to a length of up to six inches. Many Missourians use the pulp, which is roughly the same consistency as a banana, to make bread, pie, jelly and custard. The flavor is often compared to that of a banana, mango or kiwi. Pawpaw trees themselves are short and serve as forest undergrowth.

Pawpaw flowers are reddish purple, each with six petals, and bloom in the spring. Pollinators, such as butterflies and birds, help the trees reproduce by spreading the pollen found in each bloom.  

 

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Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo)

§10.105. Pawpaw tree designated as state fruit tree. – The pawpaw tree (asimina triloba) is designated as the state fruit tree of Missouri. (L. 2019 H.B. 565 merged with S.B. 210)

approved 11 July 2019
effective 28 August 2019

 

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Additional Resources:

Search historic issues of the Missouri Conservationist on the Missouri Digital Heritage website here.

 

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