The pawpaw, a native fruit to North Carolina, is hard to explain. It grows on tree like an apple, grows in bunches like grapes, and ripens like peaches in late summer--but it has a flavor and other characteristics all its own.
"Native to all 100 counties in North Carolina, this odd fruit had been all but forgotten. A family in Watauga County intends to change that." As pawpaws are difficult to transport, they don't translate well as for industrial production. Susan Owen has done much research on pawpaws and grows both native and hybrid species.