Pawpaw-15C

Common pawpaw is a small short-trunked tree or large multi-stemmed shrub 10-40 ft. tall with large tropical-like leaves. Young shoots and leaves are covered with a rusty down later becoming smooth. The thick bright-green deciduous leaves turn yellow-green in fall. Not particularly showy but interesting purple six-petaled flowers are borne singly in leaf axils before leaf emergence. Large cylindric dark-green or yellow edible fruit follows.