Pawpaw (banana tree): what kind of plant is it, photo and description, three-lobed

The desire to have exotic plants on the site is common to many gardeners. Unfortunately, not all crops can be grown in a temperate climate. Exotics are demanding in terms of heat, light levels, and soil composition. Among the plants that have adapted well to the weather conditions of the southern regions and central part of Russia is pawpaw triloba.

In the tropics, pawpaw triloba is evergreen; trees cultivated in temperate climates become deciduous

Description of the plant

Many gardeners are better known by the common names of the exotic plant - dog banana, northern banana or American papaya. Pawpaw triloba is a flowering crop belonging to the Annonaceae family. Eight species of the plant are found in nature, most of which grow in North America.Currently, the culture is widespread in countries with a consistently warm climate: Italy, Spain, France, Japan, etc. Recently, pawpaw triloba has been bred in the southern regions of Russia. There is successful experience in growing certain varieties of the northern banana tree in the middle zone, in the Volga region and the Urals.

Pawpaw in Russia is a deciduous plant. The triloba tree, which develops in natural conditions, reaches 15 m in height; cultivated specimens are much lower. If the plant is not molded, it grows wide-pyramidal. The bark of the tree is brownish-gray. The foliage of the northern banana is uniform, the plates are large (up to 35 cm in length and up to 15 cm in width), ovoid with solid edges. Pawpaw petioles are thickened and shortened.

The color of the leaves of the northern banana is bright green, the lower part is pubescent

Pawpaw flowering begins in May. The formation of buds coincides with the appearance of leaves on the northern banana. The flowers are shaped like bells. Single specimens or several buds, collected in clusters, bloom on the branches of the northern banana. Each flower has six large petals with a wrinkled texture. The color depends on the variety of pawpaw triloba: there is a gradation of shades from white to rich purple.

Comment! The advantage of small pawpaw fruit trees grown by gardeners is that they are easier to harvest.

Pawpaw fruits

The first fruiting of the northern banana is observed at the age of 7-8 years. The edible fruit is similar to papaya. The shape of triloba fruits is irregular, curved, elongated-cylindrical. Under the dense and smooth skin lies a juicy and creamy pulp, reminiscent in color and consistency of a ripe banana.

The unripe green fruits of the northern banana are similar to zucchini squash. As they ripen, they become softer and the skin color becomes yellowish-brown. The fruits of the northern banana emit a sharp, unpleasant odor. Full maturity of the triloba pawpaw occurs at approximately 160 days.

The taste of the fruit depends on the crop variety and is graded according to the severity of sweetness and acidity. The fruits always have a creamy texture and a banana-pineapple-mango-strawberry aroma. Inside the fruit of the northern banana, seeds with a thick rind are found, arranged in two rows.

Pawpaw is eaten raw. Ripe fruits quickly become unusable, so the harvest is harvested without waiting for complete ripeness. In this form, fruits can be transported and stored for 10-14 days.

Pawpaw of the triloba species produces not only tasty, but also healthy fruits. In many respects they are superior to conventional fruits and berries, including:

by the amount of protein;
by the content of vitamins C and A;
by a set of macro- and macroelements (iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus).

In addition, pawpaw fruits contain essential oils and enzymes. These substances help improve immunity and are powerful antioxidants.

Advice! Pawpaw can be frozen; it is used in cooking for making desserts and baking, as an alternative to traditional bananas.

The special smell of pawpaw fruits of the triloba species attracts specific pollinators - flies and beetles that feed on carrion

Types and best varieties of pawpaw

Breeders have developed many varieties and hybrids of pawpaw triloba based on natural forms. Some of them are suitable for cultivation in warm temperate climates.

Three-blade

The three-lobed pawpaw is considered the most cold-resistant.This variety is suitable for growing in mid-latitudes. The culture has a distinctly decorative appearance, thanks to the original leaf plates with a glossy surface.

Three-lobed pawpaw can withstand temperatures down to -29 0C, so it does not need winter protection

Dwarf

Dwarf pawpaw grows as small shrubs. The height of adult specimens does not exceed 1.2 m. The decorative variety of northern banana blooms throughout the summer season. Due to its small size, the dwarf form is used as a houseplant.

It is convenient to grow dwarf pawpaw at home in a large pot or tub

Martin

The cold-resistant Martin variety is a hybrid form. The tree grows up to 4-5 m in height. The pulp of the northern banana fruit contains a lot of sugar, the aroma is reminiscent of strawberries and cream.

The Martin variety blooms with brown bells that are hidden behind light green foliage.

Inkana

Inkana or woolly papaya is a small bush up to 1.5 m high. The crop tolerates frost well. The elegant inflorescences of the northern banana are creamy in color, which gives the plant a pronounced decorative appearance.

Inkana fruits are fully ripened by the beginning of autumn if warm weather prevailed in spring and summer

Other

Other varieties of crops are also popular:

Azimina Davis has a delicious taste of tropical fruits with a noticeable creamy hint. The skin of the fruit is green, the yellow flesh contains large seeds. The northern banana variety belongs to the winter-hardy category.
Azimina Davis can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time without loss of consumer qualities
Prima 1216 is a completely new variety with an original taste.The crop can be grown in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The fruit has a shiny green skin and a sweet, creamy pulp, similar to whipped marshmallow, with banana and mango flavors.
Prima is a productive variety that does not require shelter even in frosts down to -25 0C
Allegheny is included in the category of early varieties. The ripe fruits of the northern banana are covered with green peel, the pulp has a delicate citrus taste.
Allegheny has attractive purple bell-shaped flowers

Growing pawpaw in open ground

Growing pawpaw in mid-latitudes involves a number of agrotechnical procedures, since the banana tree has a long period of fruit ripening. The seed preparation process includes several stages.

Washing the seed extracted from the fruit.
Long-term cold stratification (over several months) in a container with wet sand.
Soaking the hatched seeds in a biostimulant solution for 6-7 days.

It is necessary to change the liquid in the container containing the seed daily. Otherwise, pawpaw seeds may rot. For sowing, it is better to use peat pots with seedling soil. 1-2 seeds are planted in individual containers to a depth of 2.5-3 cm. Seedlings are kept in a bright room at a temperature of +18-22 ⁰C. Sprouts appear in pots approximately seven weeks after planting the seeds.

Pawpaw triloba has a sensitive root system, so seedlings should not be picked or transplanted

Site selection

For planting pawpaws, a site located in a well-lit garden area is suitable. When choosing a location for a future tree, it is important to consider several requirements:

The soil should be light and loose.
Slightly acidic, fertile soil is preferable.
Good drainage should be ensured. The plant reacts poorly to stagnation of water in the root system.

In addition, pawpaw triloba does not tolerate drafts. In this regard, the young tree needs good protection from the wind.

Warning! Despite the fact that pawpaw requires a lot of light, in the first two years the plant should be shaded from bright sunlight; an adult tree does not need protection.

Soil preparation

To plant one plant specimen, add 6-8 kg of humus or compost to the soil. It is also necessary to add wood ash and river sand. The soil is thoroughly mixed.

Landing technology

The most affordable option is to grow pawpaw from two-year-old seedlings. Planting material can be purchased at a specialized nursery. The rules for organizing the procedure are as follows:

seedlings are placed at a distance of 3 m or more from each other;
create a space of 5 m between the rows;
prepare planting holes 50 cm deep and 60 cm in diameter.

At the bottom of the holes, a drainage layer of gravel and broken bricks 15 cm thick is formed and a slide is created from the prepared soil. The seedling is placed in the center of the hole, the roots are carefully straightened. The space around is filled with soil mixture, compacted and watered abundantly.

After absorbing moisture, the root circle is mulched with natural material (peat, tree bark, humus, etc.)

Care instructions

In the spring, when the growing season begins, they plan to prune pawpaws. When carrying out work, spoiled, broken, and improperly growing shoots are removed. You can give the tree crown the desired shape.

Watering

Pawpaw triloba species needs abundant, regular watering. For the procedure, settled, warm water is used.However, agricultural technicians warn that soil moisture should not be excessive, as this can lead to rotting of the roots of the northern banana. At the end of the procedure, the soil in the tree trunk circle is loosened and the weeds are removed. With the arrival of autumn, watering is stopped.

Fertilizer application

In the first season, the land where the triloba species grows is not fertilized. Feeding will be needed only in the second year of the plant’s life. Next April, pawpaw is fertilized with mineral complexes containing nitrogen and phosphorus. Another option is to feed with cow manure or bird droppings diluted with water.

Attention! Adult specimens of the triloba pawpaw are fertilized with mineral compounds once every 2-3 years. Organic fertilizers can be applied annually.

Preparing for winter

The harsher the winter, the more pawpaw requires care. It is mandatory to cover northern banana specimens that have not reached 3 years of age before the onset of cold weather. In the root circle, create a thick layer of mulch, preferably from spruce branches. The top of triloba trees and shrubs is covered with non-woven material.

The indoor plant is kept in a cool room in winter at a temperature of no more than +2-10 ⁰C. This can be an enclosed balcony, loggia or veranda. Watering pawpaws is reduced to once a month, fertilization is not carried out.

In autumn, the leaves of pawpaw growing in open areas turn yellow and fall off.

Reproduction of pawpaws

Exotic crops are propagated in several ways. The first is the generative option. It is better to sow northern banana seeds in open ground in the fall. When planting before winter, the entrances appear the following spring. During the first growing season, the tree grows 10-15 cm.

Possible vegetative spread of pawpaw.There are several ways to propagate the northern banana:

The parts of the rhizome that are separated from the base of the tree. Planted in a hole with a nutrient substrate, they soon produce the first shoots.
Basal shoots.
Grafting carried out using the split method.

In the latter option, lignified cuttings are used as a scion. For grafting, the rootstock is split by 1-1.5 cm. A pointed cut of the cutting is placed in the resulting space so that the cambial layers of both parts coincide. The grafting site is covered with film to protect it from moisture.

Important! When grafting, the main varietal characteristics of pawpaw are preserved. If other propagation methods are used, certain qualities of the northern banana may be lost.

In a subtropical climate, the productivity of an adult pawpaw is approximately 25 kg of fruit

Diseases and pests

With properly organized care, the plant is resistant to pests and does not suffer from diseases. The most common mistake gardeners make is overwatering, which leads to damage to the roots and the formation of gray rot. If symptoms of infection are noted, stop watering the northern banana and treat the tree with a fungicide solution every three days. In case of significant damage to the root system, the plant is dug up and burned to prevent the pathogenic fungus from spreading to other crops.

Features of growing pawpaw in the Moscow region

To grow pawpaws in the Moscow region in open ground, frost-resistant varieties of the crop are chosen. In addition, the plant requires mandatory shelter for the winter. Those gardeners who cultivate trees in temperate climates should take into account that the fruits do not have time to ripen.In this regard, in central Russia and surrounding areas, pawpaw triloba is bred as an ornamental plant with unusual leaves and fruits.

An alternative option is to grow pawpaw from seeds at home or in a greenhouse. There are dwarf varieties of the triloba plant that even produce small, tasty fruits.

The flowering of the northern banana pawpaw in the Moscow region lasts three weeks from late April to mid-May

Conclusion

Pawpaw triloba, like most exotics, requires special conditions and careful adherence to care rules. This amazing culture has high decorative qualities and produces nutritious fruits with an unusual taste. Dwarf forms can also be grown as indoor plants.

Reviews about pawpaw

Klara Fedorovna A., Orenburg

I have long dreamed of having a pawpaw in my apartment. I have an extensive collection of houseplants, many of which are quite rare. I purchased a seedling of the Inkana variety from a nearby nursery. In the summer there were no problems with care. But with the arrival of autumn, the northern banana bush began to hurt. I learned that staying in a heated room is detrimental for plants. I took the pot with pawpaw out onto the loggia. At first I was worried, because the temperature there sometimes drops to +4 ⁰S. But the amazing northern banana plant feels very comfortable in the cool.

Igor R., Kursk

My wife and I tend our garden plot ourselves. I saw an article about pawpaw on the Internet, and we decided to purchase an exotic crop. We planted two seedlings of the northern banana variety Martin, and both began to grow. I won't say that they require special care. The only thing is that there is additional trouble when preparing for the winter. I mulch the soil and cover the young trees.I read that adult plants do not need additional protection. This fall I will try not to cover 4-year-old trees with fabric, but I think that the root circle still needs to be mulched. Let's see how the experiment with pawpaw ends.

Pawpaw triloba (northern banana): photo and description, varieties, fruit taste, reviews