It is a native tree that grows in forests here that bears a sweet fruit.
This one is growing 30 feet from the house and is the largest one I have ever seen. I didn't even recognize it. The ones I have seen in the past grow under a forest canopy and are a single trunk with few branches each with 6-8 large leaves. They usually only grow 2 - 4 fruits that are usually eaten by wildlife.
We looked and there are more down the hill where the fruits from this one have grown. They are still small though.
They seem to be pretty rare in this part of the state. I encountered them on Boy Scout trips to other parts of the state a long time ago.
The pawpaw is a
patch-forming (clonal) understory tree found in well-drained, deep, fertile bottom-land and hilly upland habitat, with large, simple leaves. Pawpaw fruits are the largest edible fruit
indigenous to the United States (not counting
gourds, which are typically considered
vegetables rather than fruit for culinary purposes, although in
botany they are classified as fruit).
[3]
Pawpaw fruits have a sweet,
custardish flavor somewhat similar to
banana,
mango, and
pineapple, and are commonly eaten raw, but are also used to make ice cream and baked desserts.
