Climate Change Threatens Ohio's Pawpaw Harvest

Extreme weather patterns, including drought and spring freezes, are impacting the yield and quality of North America's largest native fruit.

Ohio and Kentucky pawpaw growers report earlier harvests and bitter fruit due to severe drought and unpredictable weather.
Valerie Libbey from Washington Court House, Ohio, observed her pawpaw trees dropping fruit a month early, with smaller and less flavorful yields.
Chris Chmiel's orchard in Albany, Ohio, has seen a significant reduction in pawpaw trees, exacerbated by erratic weather and invasive beetles.
The National Climate Change Assessment highlights how extreme drought and flooding are increasingly threatening Midwest agriculture.
Pawpaw trees, historically resilient and domesticated by Native American tribes, face new challenges but growers remain hopeful for their survival.