Paw Paw

This is the Paw Paw tree, also known as the Asimina triloba. This tree is fondly nicknamed the "Indiana Banana" as it produces the largest edible, native fruit in Indiana. The fruit is yellowish brown and about six inches long. The tree can be identified by dark burgundy flowers that release a putrid odor. In fall or winter, you can identify this tree from its smooth, gray bark with numerous notches and its leaves that are up to one foot long. These leaves produce a strange smell when crushed.