Edibility and Toxicity

[your_comforting_company]

Does anyone have good resource regarding toxicity of plants? Am I overlooking it on the USDA pages I visit?
I've had trouble finding info on others too, so I was just wondering if there is something I was missing.

Specifically, at the moment, I'm looking for information on the dwarf paw-paw, (Asimina pygmaea). Everything I can find points to all Asimina species having edible fruits. It's a native plant and it is speculated that the Native Americans propagated the plant to places as far as Texas and Kansas and all along coast. I like the way it looks and want to try to incorporate some into the landscaping if it's edible.
It's not in my weeds book and there are cultivated varieties, I just can't seem to find anything specific on this species.

Thanks in advance

[preachtheWORD]

ycc, in VA we have Asimina triloba, another type of paw paw. The fruit is edible, but only after the first frost. Before the frost gets it, it is sort of bland and woody. But after the frost, the fruit has a taste something like a ripe banana.

Do you get much frost way down south where you are?

[Ken]

Looks like a mini Cauliflower.

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[Justin Case]

Does anyone have good resource regarding toxicity of plants? Am I overlooking it on the USDA pages I visit?
I've had trouble finding info on others too, so I was just wondering if there is something I was missing.

Specifically, at the moment, I'm looking for information on the dwarf paw-paw, (Asimina pygmaea). Everything I can find points to all Asimina species having edible fruits. It's a native plant and it is speculated that the Native Americans propagated the plant to places as far as Texas and Kansas and all along coast. I like the way it looks and want to try to incorporate some into the landscaping if it's edible.
It's not in my weeds book and there are cultivated varieties, I just can't seem to find anything specific on this species.

Thanks in advance

YCC, You Might find something here, The is an Incredible Database, http://www.cd3wd.com/CD3WD_40/CD3WD/index.htm

[your_comforting_company]

Not much frost here till late december or early january.. sometimes we get one frost pass in November, usually one or two days as our first "cold snap". I haven't seen them with fruits on that late in the year. Thanks for the info.

I'm digging through those links Justin. Thanks. Maybe I can find what I'm looking for.

[crashdive123]

YCC - I think Nell may be our resident paw paw expert.

[your_comforting_company]

Still digging for info on edibility of the dwarf pawpaw. I've also encountered a few other plants that are siblings or cousins of edible plants, Like lyre-leaf sage. How do we find out if these relatives are edible like their well-documented cousins?
What about the various vetch species? Like garden peas, the plant itself contains poisons, but not the fruits. Anyone have information on common vetch, crown vetch, senna, etc? My weed book only covers toxicity and does not say specifically "edible" or what part would be used.
The PDF guides that Ken posted a while back are helpful with some of the plants I've encountered lately. Thanks for those documents again Ken!

[Rick]

I have a couple of Paw Paw trees in my yard (Asimina triloba). Youngsters a couple of years old. Paw Paw is actually the only native tropical plant found in the Midwest. I'm not aware of any toxicity in Asimina spp.

[HeritageFarm]

Welll, you could always take a bite and see if you die.
But seriously, this article mentions dwarf pawpaw and nothing bad about it.
http://www.gardenguides.com/taxonomy...imina-triloba/
PS That's what a pawpaw looks like? Nothing like the OverRipe banana description I hear.

[preachtheWORD]

PS That's what a pawpaw looks like? Nothing like the OverRipe banana description I hear.

I doesn't look like a banana, but it does sorta taste like one ... but a little more "slimey"

[HeritageFarm]

I was thinking it might go good in smoothies?

[Rick]

I can't wait for mine to start producing. I want to dehydrate them to store them for longer term. I want to see how well that works.

[your_comforting_company]

The link provided by HF says that drying was done on a regular basis for use as a trail snack. I'd love to know the results of your dehydrating.
Thanks for the link HF. I guess there really is no alternative to just digging for the info. I'll keep digging on the others as I have time.

[your_comforting_company]

I've found some dwarf pawpaws with fruits on them. Anyone know how to tell if they are ripe? I tried one that was still a little green and it was a bit astringent. It gave me a bit of cottonmouth. I found one that was a little more yellow (the way a green banana goes yellow when it's ripe) but the skin was still a little tough and the fruit itself was quite hard. I'm keeping my eye on several stands, waiting for the fruit to ripen, so if anyone has info on that, please pass it on!

[Rick]

Nell can probably chime in on this question. I'm a novice as well but I understand they should be "overripe" (like an overripe banana) to be eaten.