Pawpaw

In this wet habitat, you’ll find a group of pawpaw trees. Pawpaws are the largest edible fruit native to the United States. Pawpaw trees are small understory trees, meaning they grow in the shade of taller trees. Their fruits are a bright yellowish-green color and taste like a mix of mangoes and bananas. This delicious fruit attracts animals such as raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and other small mammals. Pawpaws are also essential in the life cycle of the zebra swallowtail butterfly, whose larvae primarily eat pawpaw leaves.