Examine why a native fruit with historical significance fell out of favor, as discussed in Serious Eats .
Explore the pawpaw as a local alternative to imported tropical fruits, noted in this Instagram post .
Focus on planting native pawpaws to support biodiversity and the zebra swallowtail butterfly.
Ripe pawpaws fall to the ground in late summer or early fall (September/October).
Ripe fruit should be picked from the ground, as they do not ripen well after being picked early.