common pawpaw

Also known as American Pawpaw, Indiana Banana, Poor Man's Banana, False Banana

Common pawpaws form dense clonal thickets in rich floodplain forests and moist bottomlands across eastern North America. In early spring, nodding maroon flowers bloom before the large, tropical-looking leaves expand, emitting a faint fetid odor that attracts carrion flies and beetles for pollination. Large fleshy green fruits mature in late summer, serving as an important seasonal nutrient source for wild mammals like raccoons, foxes, and opossums.