Description

This cultivar produces a high yield of edible fruit, similar in taste to a banana/pear with a custard consistency; fruit is sweet, rich, high in vitamins; flowers may have a disagreeable fetid odor; tree is a host for the zebra swallowtail butterfly

Planting & Growing

Sunflower Paw Paw will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This tree can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated edibles garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.