Ohio is aptly nicknamed the Buckeye State for the trees that are commonly found in floodplains and forests across the state. The trees are frequently found in the western half of the state but are more scatte red in distribution throughout the eastern portion. The Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) has several prominent features that make it distinguishable year round. During winter and early spring, the buds are large and conical with overlapping scales, and while similar in appearance to horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) buds, they are much less shiny and sticky.

When the leaves emerge in spring they are palmately compound with 5 leaflets, with each leaflet elliptical in shape with a pointed tip. Around the same time that the leaves are emerging, the bright yellow and orange panicle flowers develop. Fruits of the buckeye develop during mid-summer, and become more noticeable as summer progresses. The distinct nut is contained in a fleshy tan husk of the fruit, and is only exposed after the fruits drop and are eaten or desiccate on the forest floor. The Ohio buckeye may be the plant most associated with Ohio, but there is a lesser known woody plant with as much ecological and cultural importance to Ohio: The pawpaw (Asimina triloba).

The pawpaw is small tree native to much of the eastern United States, except for New England and Florida. Pawpaw trees reach a mature height of 25 feet, and often grow in colonies that spread by way of the parent tree’s root system. The leaves of the pawpaw are dark green and teardrop shaped with a small pointed tip. While not showy like the flowers of the buckeye, the flowers of the pawpaw are no less interesting or attractive. The flowers are a rich purple color and hang from the barren stems well before the leaves emerge. What really makes the pawpaw a standout among woody plants of Ohio are its fruit. The flesh of the fruit looks similar to papaya and is the United States’ largest native fruit. The taste has been described as a cross between banana and mango, with the consistency of custard. Certainly not something you would expect to find growing in Ohio!

So, why isn’t everyone jumping at the opportunity to grow pawpaw (or name a football team after it?) If it were easy, surely every orchard would have a pawpaw grove by now, but the fruit is extremely perishable. After ripening the fruit will only last a couple days before decaying and fermenting. If refrigerated at 40-45 degrees, the fruit will last a few more days but freezing or preserving the fruit is not an ideal option because the delicate flavors of the fruit change with freezing or heating. If that doesn’t complicate matters enough, the stigma (female part of the flower) matures before the pollen, which assures the flower cannot self pollinate, and pawpaw trees require pollen from a genetically different tree to be fertilized and produce fruit. It is not uncommon to find groves of fruitless pawpaw trees, which is likely due to the fact that the trees all developed from suckers of a central parent tree and are genetically identical. The few pawpaw growers that do exist are able to get reliable fruiting by using hand pollination, quite a tedious (but worthwhile) process. So if you weren’t aware of the pawpaw or haven’t experienced this fruit, September until early October is the ideal time to seek it out at farmer’s markets or go for a hike and keep an eye out for this unusual fruit—just about the time that Buckeyes are attracting everyone’s attention!

Ohio Trees- Pawpaw (n.d.). In Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 5, 2013.

Plants Profile for Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye) (n.d.). In USDA NRCS Plants Database. Retrieved September 5, 2013.

Plants Profile for Asimina triloba (pawpaw) (n.d.). In USDA NRCS Plants Database. Retrieved September 5, 2013.

Layne, D. R. (1995). Pawpaw. In Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Produces. Retrieved September 5, 2013.