The severe drought that has been plaguing Ohio, along with shifting climate patterns, is taking a toll on North America’s largest native fruit, the pawpaw. Often described in taste as a blend of mango and banana, this avocado-sized fruit enjoys a faithful following, yet remains a rarity in grocery stores due to its fleeting shelf life. Stretching from Ontario to South Florida, pawpaw trees thrive along the East Coast. However, in regions like Ohio—home to an annual pawpaw festival—and Kentucky, growers are noting some alarming changes this season: earlier-than-usual harvests and a pronounced bitterness in the fruit, likely linked to erratic weather that includes spring freezes and persistent drought. Valerie Libbey, who manages an orchard in Washington Court House, Ohio, has observed these shifts firsthand. With 100 pawpaw trees, she was alarmed to see fruit falling from the branches in early August, a full month ahead of the typical mid-September harvest. Newsletter The Bulletin Your Morning Starts Here Begin your day with a curated outlook of top news around the world and why it matters. I want to receive special offers and promotions from Newsweek By clicking on SIGN ME UP, you agree to Newsweek’s Terms of Use & Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe at any time. Valerie Libbey holds a normal-sized pawpaw, left, next to a drought-affected pawpaw from her farm, Wednesday, September. 18, 2024, in Washington Court House, Ohio. “The smell of the fruit hit me as I walked in to do my irrigation,” she said, noting that this year’s crop was not only smaller but also less flavorsome. Libbey attributes these changes to heat stress, though the interplay between prolonged drought and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns remains uncertain. “We’re just having to adapt to more extreme weather events,” she said, reflecting on last year’s late […]