Those who dwell in the ÒPawpaw Belt", including the yellow-billed cuckoo, the zebra swallowtail butterfly and the sphinx moth, know that September is when the pawpaw is at its zenith. The fruitÕs pale green skin is supple, and its ivory pulp bears flavors of vanilla, caramel and mango. The pawpawÕs attributes donÕt end there. AmericaÕs largest native fruit, the pawpaw repels pests and possesses cancer-fighting properties.

But between the pawpawÕs short harvesting season and limited range (pawpaw patches can be found in and around Appalachia), the fruit has never been commercialized. And so while the pawpaw is deeply rooted in American folklore, itÕs nowhere to be found in American supermarkets. Farmers concerned with native plants, the local food movement and organic agriculture are striving to domesticate pawpaws, but for now the pawpaw largely remains a foragerÕs delight.

To learn more about Pawpaw, and related designs, see our blog entry, Pawpaw Prepared Three Ways. John James Audubon captured the pawpawÕs pendulous form in his depiction of the yellow-billed cuckoo for his masterwork Birds of America. AudubonÕs graceful rendering of the pawpaw, and the animals that depend on it, influenced our choice of motifs for our Pawpaw design.