Michigan’s Secret Fruit: Where to Find Pawpaws This Fall

When I was a kid growing up in the South, stumbling across a pawpaw felt like finding hidden treasure. The green fruit doesn’t look like much hanging in the shade of the forest, but one bite tells a different story.

With its creamy, custard-like flesh and tropical flavor, it tastes like a mix between a banana, a mango, and a melon. The pawpaw is often called “America’s forgotten fruit” because they bruise easily and don’t ship well. That’s you won’t find them in grocery stores.

That’s why as a kid in Kentucky discovering them in the wild always felt like striking tasty gold.

What many don’t realize is that pawpaws grow naturally in Michigan too, especially in the southwest part of the state.

Where to Find Pawpaws in Southwest Michigan

If you’re wondering where to find pawpaws in Michigan, the key is to look for the right conditions. They thrive in rich, moist soil along rivers and creeks and prefer shaded woodlands where the forest canopy keeps them cool.

Late August through September is pawpaw season in Michigan, when the fruit is ripe and ready to harvest.

In Southwest Michigan, you can spot pawpaw trees along trails at Warren Dunes State Park, near the St. Joseph River, and in shaded forests around Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

You can also find it pretty easily in the city named after it, Paw Paw.

County parks and riverside nature preserves are also great places to search. If you’re walking and catch a sweet, tropical smell in the late summer air, chances are you’re close to a pawpaw patch.

Finding pawpaws in Michigan feels just like it did when I was younger. It’s like stumbling upon a secret fruit meant just for you.

They may not be flashy, but once you taste one, you’ll understand why people return to the woods year after year, searching for their own sweet slice of summer.