By Erin Negley, LNP, Lancaster, Pa . (TNS)

Hillbilly mango.

Hipster banana.

Custard apple.

Pawpaws are so complex, their common names show their range as a Pennsylvania native, yet surprisingly tropical, fruit.

As summer fades into fall, it’s prime time for pawpaws in Lancaster County and beyond. Eric Burkhart, director of Penn State’s Appalachian Botany and Ethnobotany Program, shared more about finding and enjoying pawpaws.

Where to find pawpaws

Communities throughout Appalachia harvest pawpaws around this time of year . The common pawpaw (asimina triloba) grows in an even wider region stretching from the mid-Atlantic to eastern Texas as well as southern Florida.

In Pennsylvania, pawpaws usually grow south of I-80, with some sightings in the norther tier.

Pawpaws prefer

See Full Page