Rhode Island man grows rare native fruit in his backyard

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Rhode Island man has turned his backyard into a garden with a plant that most Ocean State residents do not have.

Joe Barros of East Providence has hundreds of pawpaw trees planted in his yard.

It is the largest native fruit in North America.

Barros said the trees remind him of his childhood in Brazil.

“The feeling of going to one of the trees over here and pick up a fruit and enjoy that. Unexplainable feeling,” he said.

Barros has been growing the pawpaw trees in his yard for 15 years.

He said his backyard orchard can produce thousands of pounds of fruit in a season.

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