Shenandoah Pawpaw

Asimina triloba 'Shenandoah'

fruit

Shenandoah is a premium named selection of the pawpaw (Asimina triloba), North America's largest native fruit and the only temperate member of a mostly tropical family. The tree has a pyramidal shape and large, drooping, tropical-looking leaves, and in fall produces big green fruits whose soft, custardy yellow flesh tastes like a blend of banana, mango, and melon. Shenandoah was selected for large, mild, sweet fruit with relatively few seeds and a smooth texture, making it one of the best varieties for fresh eating. Pawpaws need cross-pollination, so a second, genetically different cultivar must be planted nearby for fruit to set.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• A second pawpaw cultivar: Essential - pawpaws are self-incompatible, so a genetically different variety nearby is required for cross-pollination and fruit set
• Comfrey: Deep-rooted nutrient accumulator that mulches the root zone of this moisture-loving tree
• Elderberry: A fellow moisture-tolerant native that suits the same rich, damp woodland-edge conditions

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Pawpaw peduncle borer →

  A small larva that bores into flower stalks and causes fruit to drop - usually minor; remove and destroy affected flowers and fruitlets if it becomes a problem

• Deer →

  Deer generally avoid pawpaw foliage (it contains natural insecticidal compounds), which is a real advantage, but protect young trunks from rubbing

• Raccoons →

  Raccoons and other mammals love the ripe fruit - harvest promptly as fruit softens rather than letting it drop

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pawpaws ripen in late summer to fall and are best picked when the fruit gives slightly to gentle pressure, like a ripe peach or avocado, and the aroma turns fragrant; ripe fruit also drops on its own and can be gathered from the ground if caught fresh. They do not store or ship well - that is exactly why they are rarely sold commercially - so eat them within a few days, or scoop the pulp, remove the large seeds, and freeze it for smoothies, ice cream, and baking. Refrigeration extends fresh life only briefly.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Pawpaw flesh is uniquely rich and custardy, tasting of banana, mango, and melon, and is high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and several antioxidants - nutritionally denser than apples or peaches. It is eaten fresh by the spoonful or used in ice cream, custards, quick breads, and smoothies. Because the fruit is so perishable it almost never appears in stores, making a home tree the main way to enjoy this native delicacy.