When I first discovered that a pawpaw is one of Ohio’s two state fruits, my only question was “What on earth is a pawpaw?”.
As I have come to find out, besides being a state fruit of Ohio, the pawpaw is also found in most of the Eastern United States besides New England and Florida. It looks like a tropical plant and provides a delicious fruit. The pawpaw tree grows to be around 25 feet tall and grows best in moist, rich soil. It is a member of the Annona Family and is distantly related to the Magnolia tree and Tuliptree. You can recognize the pawpaw not only by its yellow-brown large lima-bean shaped fruit but also by its dark, shiny, tropical-looking green leaves and purple-red flowers.
Upon inspection around camp (and a helpful tip from Ingrid), I found a pawpaw tree outside the front of Lowry in the little island in between the parking lot and Beall. It is really pretty and it was interesting to able to see one in person.