# Fruit that grows in your area and is not universally available? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872 "2026-11-11T21:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/21 "2026-11-12T15:15:31Z")
Also pawpaws. They’re delicious. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/22 "2026-11-12T15:49:55Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > pawpaws T.I.L “Pawpaw” and “papaya” are two completely different fruit. I thought they were both papaya, just different names. I grew up calling that fruit “pawpaw”. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/23 "2026-11-12T15:58:08Z")
Yeah, they are nothing alike. Also a “pitaya” in no way resembles either of those. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/24 "2026-11-12T16:00:20Z")
And the “pitanga” has nothing to do with any of them. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/25 "2026-11-12T16:28:54Z")
> [@pyromyte](#): > > That reminds me of the fruit called **pawpaw** (Asimina triloba) that grows in Kentucky, and surrounding states, but is not widely available elsewhere, and I am not sure I have ever seen one at a super market anywhere. Quick google search says pawpaw is a botanical cousin of Chirimoya (of which I have never heard before your post). I would describe the pawpaw as being similarly soft and kind of a cross between banana and.. uh.. tropical… Pawpaw grows up here. It’s not in supermarkets because it starts to go bad in a day or two, and it’s soft and bruises easily in shipment. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/26 "2026-11-12T16:45:29Z")
SW Montana–huckleberries. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/27 "2026-11-12T16:56:59Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Real Concord grapes don’t grow everywhere and don’t ship robustly AFAICT, and many people don’t like the seeds, but I’m so glad this is one of the places they grow them! Not a fruit but western NY is the only place where I’ve seen grape pie being served. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/28 "2026-11-12T17:07:30Z")
UK fruit production is a bit weird, there’s a much larger range of fruit that can be grown, and used to be commercially grown, than is actually available in the shops. Even most of our apples are imported varieties. Granny Smith is Australian, Braeburn and Gala from NZ, Red/Golden delicious from the US. Cox’s orange pippin and Bramley are about the only widely available apples that are actually a British variety and we import a chunk of the fruit even of those from NZ. Meanwhile we have literally hundreds of local varieties that are no longer produced commercially. We grow blueberries, but we import most of the fruit; it’s actually at the point where some farmers are growing it because they do get some subsidies, then literally letting it rot in the field because the imported fruit is cheaper than the labour to pick the local crops. I’ve met a guy who just lets people come in once a year and pick as much as they want for a charity donation, because he can’t afford to pick and sell it. I don’t think rhubarb is that popular outside northern Europe, but we do grow- and sell- that. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Europeans may be surprised to learn that currants are almost never sold commercially in the US. Oddly we rarely sell them in the UK; we grow red, white and especially black currants commercially, but almost all are sold for processing or juice. One company -Ribena- buys something crazy like 90% of UK black currant commercial production, but I’ve not seen the berries for sale in a shop for years. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/29 "2026-11-12T17:15:27Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > SW Montana–huckleberries. I visited Glacier National Park a few months ago. It was quite evident that selling huckleberry jam and other huckleberry products to tourists is a big industry there. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/30 "2026-11-12T17:50:35Z")
[Asian pears](https://ccd.uky.edu/resources/crops/fruit/pears) reportedly are expanding their niche among Kentucky growers. I don’t recall ever seeing them in supermarkets. As a fan of firm, crisp pears, that’s disappointing, though our two trees fill the gap. We’ve also grown pawpaws and serviceberries. I can understand pawpaws not being available commercially because they need to soften for best flavor and don’t ship well. Serviceberries on the other hand keep pretty well and the only obvious barrier to commercial sales is consumer unfamiliarity. Serviceberry ‘Autumn Brilliance’ is an almost perfect small tree for home landscape use - attractive white flowers in spring, good crops of tasty fruit and great red fall foliage. Mulberries (Morus rubra) are native to Kentucky and many other eastern states, but don’t make it into grocery stores. They get bad press when planted too close to driveways and sidewalks, where dropping fruit can leave stains, but the fruit is very good and abundantly produced (we have three varieties, of which [‘Kokuso’](https://restoringeden.co/product/mulberry-kokuso/) is the most productive). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/31 "2026-11-12T18:17:17Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Serviceberries, also called juneberries, Saskatoons, and shadblow (botanical name Amelanchier) grows wild across most of North America. There are some cultivars that are grown for commercial fruit production, developed (i think) by the University of Saskatchewan. It’s not uncommon to find saskatoon berry products in Saskatchewan (at farmer’s markets, etc.). One berry that U of S is trying to commercialize is the haskap, which I am unfamiliar with. (My mom says they’re great.) > **[Haskap Varieties - USask Fruit Program](https://research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/our-varieties/haskap-varieties.php)** ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/32 "2026-11-12T18:29:24Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > One berry that U of S is trying to commercialize is the haskap, which I am unfamiliar with. (My mom says they’re great.) Also grown in the UK, under the name ‘Honeyberry’. You get the odd one that’s nice raw, but it’s not very predictable, and they’re mostly very acid. Nice cooked though. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/33 "2026-11-12T19:00:25Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I don’t think rhubarb is that popular outside northern Europe, but we do grow- and sell- that. Rhubarb is a vegetable, even if it’s mostly used in jams and pies. That i can buy in the supermarket. I make a few strawberry rhubarb pies in season. I also have a rhubarb plant in my backyard, but it’s under a tree, so it’s been very slow to mature. I might be able to harvest a stem or two next year. > [@WildaBeast](#): > > It was quite evident that selling huckleberry jam and other huckleberry products to tourists is a big industry there. Huckleberries are delicious! They are apparently very hard to transplant, which is one reason they aren’t often farmed. I’ve had a lot of those picked from wild bushes, though. > [@Filbert](#): > > Also grown in the UK, under the name ‘Honeyberry’. You get the odd one that’s nice raw, but it’s not very predictable, and they’re mostly very acid. Nice cooked though. It’s an edible honeysuckle fruit, but “honey berry” is a really bad name for it, because it’s tart and not very sweet. And when the name starts with “honey” people are expecting sweet. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/34 "2026-11-12T19:01:04Z")
@CairoCarol probably has a lot of fruit the rest of us don’t see. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/35 "2026-11-12T19:12:07Z")
I have a mulberry tree. The fruit is very reliable and prodigious. Produces lots of purple bird poop and purple foot prints on the deck. They do make great juice and jelly. But man they are difficult to live around. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/36 "2026-11-12T19:38:54Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Rhubarb is a vegetable, even if it’s mostly used in jams and pies. That i can buy in the supermarket. I know it’s technically a leaf petiole- I mean, I’m a plant scientist and grow it at home- but it’s treated as a fruit here and it’s always in the fruit section, as it’s used entirely in sweet foods, so.. close enough. Vegetable isn’t really a botanical definition, it’s culinary; chillies are botanically fruit, but they’re also clearly culinary vegetables, or even spices. My South American, African and Asian friends had mostly never come across rhubarb, nor had the Southern US visiting student; they need cold winters to do well. They grow like mad here though, mine has gone crazy, it’s huge already and it’s only been there two years. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > It’s an edible honeysuckle fruit, but “honey berry” is a really bad name for it, because it’s tart and not very sweet. And when the name starts with “honey” people are expecting sweet Yeah, I was at a fruit growers event a few months back, and that was the general consensus; the name is bad and misleads people. The Greenland of the plant world. I did note that a more recent UK project aiming to increase uptake is referring to it as haskap, so maybe the marketing name will switch to something which isn’t leading people to expect something super sweet. Oddly there’s a bunch of different fruits called a huckleberry; one is an annual member of the Solanaceae, which doesn’t taste good at all; annoyingly that’s the only one you can get here, so I’ve never tried the other version. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I have a mulberry tree. We do have mulberries, but again only home grown, you can’t even readily buy them processed here. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/37 "2026-11-12T19:42:49Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Oddly there’s a bunch of different fruits called a huckleberry; one is an annual member of the Solanaceae, which doesn’t taste good at all; annoyingly that’s the only one you can get here, so I’ve never tried the other version. Huh, i didn’t know that. Our huckleberry is similar to a blueberry in both growth habit and flavor. The leaves are a little larger and the plant itself smells different, but it’s easy to confuse them. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/38 "2026-11-12T23:52:06Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > We grow blueberries, but we import most of the fruit; it’s actually at the point where some farmers are growing it because they do get some subsidies, then literally letting it rot in the field because the imported fruit is cheaper than the labour to pick the local crops. I’ve met a guy who just lets people come in once a year and pick as much as they want for a charity donation, because he can’t afford to pick and sell it. Huh. Do you have [“U-Pick” fruit farm setups](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-surprising-history-of-americas-pick-your-own-farms)? “U-Pick” or “pick-your-own” farmers grow the fruit, and then when they advertise it as ripe, consumers come in and pick what they want, paying a price per pound (or per punnet, depending on fruit type) that’s significantly cheaper than retail grocery prices. Farmers still have to supply some labo(u)r to manage the crop and clean up leftovers, but the vast majority of the picking is done by consumers. Off the top of my naive head that sounds like something British people would love? Proper fresh local fruit at very reasonable prices, a summer or autumn family outing, sufficient abundance for large-scale canning or freezing if that’s your jam (see what I did there? ;), and unlimited opportunities for grumbling about the weather, the selection, the carelessness of fellow pickers, etc. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/39 "2026-11-13T00:07:58Z")
There’s a man local to me (Iowa/Illinois border) who grows several varieties of pawpaw, and he also has periodic tastings and seed distribution. I’ve never been able to make it to one. I did try to grow pawpaw back in my homeowner days, but they have a very long taproot and mine never survived transplanting. Plus, I have since discovered that you need at least two for adequate pollination. Persimmons are also a very seasonal and regional crop. This is actually the time of year for them. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872/40 "2026-11-13T00:22:01Z")
Probably. I’m not really up to date on what fruits are easily available in grocery stores in the continental US - I wouldn’t be surprised if everything I can list here is available at high-end NYC grocery stores, if not in every little stop-n-shop around the country. Some fruits commonly grown here on Hawai’i Island are dragon fruit, pomelo (not good ones though - for that you have to go to Bali), jabotica, cape gooseberries, mangosteens, longan, lychee, ice cream beans, starfruit, rambutan, and probably other things I’m not thinking of. If you’re feeling jealous, I’ll just add that I’m sitting on our screened-in backyard lanai (porch) looking at the beautiful rainforest and smelling cadaver. A few days ago our neighbor tried to kill a feral pig but only wounded it before it escaped into the dense forest. My nose is telling me how that worked out for the pig. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-that-grows-in-your-area-and-is-not-universally-available/1034872.md?page=3)