Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone knew if Pawpaw is safe around children and pets, thought it was edible but am reading that it can also have toxic effects?

I've had a zebra swallowtail in my yard the last couple of days and I have fallen in love.

Leah
Ocala, Fl
Zone 8B

Leah - This link might be helpful as per your question:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/442624

Thank you Becky!

Leah
Ocala, Fl
Zone 8B

Ah a Zebra Swallowtail...lucky you!!! We don't get that one down here. Am jealous!!!


~ Cat (Edinburg, TX - Lower Rio Grande Valley)

They are gorgeous- especially in flight!

Leah
Ocala, Fl
Zone 8B

Leah,
Last year, I gave a cousin a bunch of buttonbush plants since she wanted cecropias and had no hostplants. She then did some research and found that buttonbush is poisonous and was worried it might hurt her dogs. I pointed out that milkweed is more poisonous and that her property was covered in milkweed. She planted the buttonbush.

I believe milkweed is a bigger threat than pawpaw and that you already have milkweed.

It's a great butterfly! I saw one this past spring at Shenks Ferry on the Susquehanna river. I didn't see any paw paw trees there though. I know that is there host plant. We have an arboretum not too far away from here that has loads of pawpaw trees But I don't think there are any zebra swallotails there. I think I saw similiar looking butterflies in Cuba last year But I wasn't able to get a picture.

sarah merion station, Pennsylvania zone 6B

I get to see them two or three times a week when I walk through a nearby park. The park has several areas where there are native Pawpaws. There are many different types of Pawpaws and supposedly the zebra swallowtails tend to prefer the ones that are native to each area. The Triloba grow well up north and even here, in Central Florida. I have three or four, the largest is about 15ft tall now and this year they produced a bunch of fruit--but they have attracted no butterflies.

It has been very frustrating. These are beautiful butterflies and I would love to be able to host some. I have planted a bunch of the native Pawpaws, but they grow very, very slowly--maybe three inches a year it seems. I believe there are eight different types of Pawpaws in Florida. Other than the Triloba the parviflora is the most common in northern Florida. In Central Florida we have ones that grow in the sand hills. I think the names are reticulata and obovata. They have very deep tap roots, so they are almost impossible to dig up and transplant. I only know one person who grows them in our area, and, again, they grow very slowly.

Anyway, they are very beautiful butterflies and a joy to see in flight.