Pawpaw vs Porthos Cherry - TreeTime.ca

Pawpaw vs Porthos Cherry

Asimina triloba

Prunus cerasus Porthos

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Pawpaw
Porthos Cherry

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.

Porthos Cherry is a cold-hardy dwarf sour cherry that features white spring flowers followed by large, dark red fruit in mid-to-late summer. Among sour cherries, Porthos is exceptionally sweet with well-balanced acidity. These cherries are ideal for fresh eating, freezing, baking, winemaking, and preserves.

Porthos Cherry was developed by the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program as part of the Musketeer series and released in 2022. They recommended growing dwarf sour cherries as a shrub rather than a small tree. The shrub form tends to bear fruit earlier and is less susceptible to winterkill.

Sour cherries are self-fertile; however, planting with additional varieties for cross-pollination can increase yields.

Pawpaw Quick Facts

Porthos Cherry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 2a
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Light: any
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: semi upright, compact
Spreading: suckering - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: red purple
Flowers: white
Bloom time: mid to late spring
Fruit: large, yellow green to brown
Fruit: deep red
Flavor: similar to mango or banana
Flavor: sweet with balanced acidity
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON
Other Names: american pawpaw, custard apple, custard apple tree, indian banana, paw paw, paw-paw, wild banana
Other Names: porthos sour cherry