Asimina triloba (paw-paw) - Indian banane

Asimina /paw-pa/ (Asimina triloba) has acquired many different names: Indian banana, poor man's banana, hoosier banana, pawpaw. The Indian banana is actually the name of an exotic fruit that we also grow in our gardens. At the same time, the quality and taste of the fruits is really comparable to well-known bananas. This exotic, deciduous, fruit tree even has some of the highest quality exotic fruits, containing the most protein.

Asimina is a genus of lower dicotyledonous plants from the Annonaceae family. These deciduous trees have simple alternate leaves and quite large flowers. The mulberry genus includes 8 species and in the wild it is widespread in the southeastern regions of the USA, especially in Florida, but slightly extends to Canada. Actually, it is the only genus of the bottlenose family that extends into the temperate zone.

Despite its exotic origins, the muďoul is a very tough tree that came to us around 1990, i.e. with the fall of the Iron Curtain. Until then it was known only to botanists. In addition, this tree is also very decorative due to its structure. Its fruits, which are remotely similar to bananas, contain similar substances and are also processed similarly in the kitchen.

Muďoul is a very adaptable tree, but prefers soil rich in nutrients and humus, moist soil and can tolerate a higher calcium content in the soil. It sprouts very late and therefore it can easily escape even late spring frosts. At the same time, even frost greater than -25 °C will survive during the dormant season. The muďoul blooms for 2 to 3 weeks, which adds to its decorativeness in the garden.

The easiest way to get a mugwort is to buy a young tree. But beware, cultivars that are able to bear must be grafted. However, it is precisely these coppices that form a crown with plenty of fertile wood. At first, the tree requires a moderate training cut, and in the following years, a maintenance cut will be enough, thanks to which we will preserve the shape and other properties of the crown.

When planting a young tree, we must not disturb its root ball and expose the tap root. It would be a considerable shock to the tree, which might not survive. The root system of the mullein is poor in small root hairs, which is why it is so delicate.

Muďoul grows to a height of 2 to 12 m, so it can be a shrub, a small tree, or a large tree. The bark is thin, dark brown, cracking longitudinally. Its wood is green-yellow, light, soft, coarse-grained and spongy. Buds are small, brown and hairy. Leaves simple, alternate, ovate, entire, glabrous or hairy, 20 to 35 cm long and 10 to 15 cm wide. Fully developed, they are smooth, deep green on the face, lighter on the reverse, turning rusty yellow in autumn.

The smell of crushed leaves is reminiscent of green pepper, the unpleasant-smelling flowers grow singly or 7 to 8 in deep bundles. They are 4 to 6 cm in diameter, have 3 sepals and 6 petals in two unequal circles. Sepals are green, hairy, corollas are white, purple to reddish-brown. Nectaria are present at the base of the petals. Mulberry fruits are large berries, usually in clusters of 3 to 5 from one flower, 3 to 16 cm long, with three to many seeds.

Muďoul is also interesting for its healing properties, as it contains substances that are being tested for alternative cancer treatment. The production of active substances, however, varies greatly among individual individuals.

Mulberries are the largest native fruit of North America. However, they have a very short shelf life when ripe. They taste similar to banana and mango, while having more protein than most other fruits. The fruits can be dried into jams or jellies, or made into compote. You can make a cake or bake a cake from them. However, watch out for seeds that contain toxic acetogenins (polyketides) with insecticidal properties. Some Native American tribes use a dry powder from the seeds of the mullein on children's heads against lice.

And it is the three-lobed gorse (Asimina triloba) that is the only representative of the family that is able to survive the Central European winters. However, it must be said that in our conditions it only reaches a bushy growth, let's only dream of a sturdy tree.