Mongolian Cherry vs Pawpaw - TreeTime.ca

Mongolian Cherry vs Pawpaw

Prunus fruticosa

Asimina triloba

CUSTOM GROW

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Mongolian Cherry
Pawpaw

Mongolian Cherry is a hardy shrub that is often grown as an ornamental. This plant makes an attractive flowering hedgerow that requires little maintenance. The dark red cherries are tart and desirable for baking, wine-making, and canning. This shrub is popular with wildlife.

The Pawpaw tree produces delicious, sweet fruit with a unique banana-mango flavor. These oblong fruits start yellowish-green and mature to a dark brown in the fall. It is best to leave them on the tree until ripe, as they do not ripen well once picked. Pawpaws can be enjoyed fresh, in baking, or in ice cream.

Pawpaws produce the largest native fruit in North America. They typically grow as a small understory tree or large shrub on wooded slopes, in ravines, and along stream banks. They often spread through root suckers, forming dense thickets over time.

For fruit production to occur more than one genetically different Pawpaw tree is required. Our Pawpaw seedlings are grown from seed so they are all genetically different.

Note: Avoid eating the seeds and skin of the Pawpaw fruit as they can cause stomach pain for some individuals. Contact with the skin of the fruit can also result in skin irritation, so it is recommended to wear gloves during harvest. Plant this tree once. Due to its large tap root transplanting is not recommended.

Mongolian Cherry Quick Facts

Pawpaw Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: high


Flowers: clusters of white flowers
Flowers: red purple
Fruit: tart dark red cherry
Fruit: large, yellow green to brown
Flavor: similar to mango or banana
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON
Other Names: dwarf cherry, european dwarf cherry, steppe cherry
Other Names: american pawpaw, custard apple, custard apple tree, indian banana, paw paw, paw-paw, wild banana