The following editorial is from the opinion page of The Republican newspaper in Springfield. It reflects views of the newspaper’s leadership and not necessarily those of MassLive. Readers are invited to share their opinions by emailing to letters@repub.com .

Let’s celebrate the pawpaw fruit.

The largest edible fruit native to North American has a growing audience here in the Connecticut River Valley. And the match between fruit and place could hardly be better.

Backyard gardeners and professional orchardists in the Valley told a reporter from The Republican they have been planting an increasing number of pawpaw trees. Some of those growers say the demand for the custard-smooth, mango-tasting fruit is so high they sell out quickly.

The pawpaw, difficult to ship because it’s easy t

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