Pawpaws (Asimina triloba) Long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, North American Indians were enjoying the vanilla custard flavoured flesh of this northern banana. Large, lush, drooping leaves give the pawpaw a tropical appearance. A slow growing, pyramidal shaped tree, it can reach anywhere from 10-25' at maturity. It has virtually no insect or disease problems and requires very little pruning. This exotic and fascinating native tree is in high demand. Grafted Paw Paws are more consistent and productive than seedlings and will begin bearing fruit sooner. Although they are less winter hardy than seedling trees, these selected varieties are worth trying in protected areas. Plant two different varieties for pollination or plant one seedling and one grafted tree.