The PawPaw tree is a ginseng companion plant, or ginseng indicator plant. It often grows where ginseng grows, but is also often found in areas with more sunlight. Here at Wild Ozark it is a fairly good indicator of great ginseng habitat, but it also grows prolifically on the edge between forest and field, marking places where the forest beyond the boundary has proper habitat.
The photo below is a PawPaw flower bud. It is a frame in the American Ginseng & Companions slide-show. Later in the season the flower will open completely and the color will be a deep burgundy red.
“There’s a “between” space where the ginseng habitat and the surrounding ecosystems meet. It’s the boundary between one kind of place and another, like a doorway or threshold. The ginseng habitat and the surrounding hardwood forest, the forest and the field, or that transition space where mountains meet the ocean, plains, or desert sands — all liminal spaces of a physical sort that speak to the soul of those who enjoy crossing and lingering along such lines.” – QUOTE FROM AMERICAN GINSENG & COMPANIONS
