Discovering Paw-paws in East Providence

When Jose Barros came to America from Rio, Brazil, in 1973, he was just 16 years old. Decades later, he was reintroduced to the paw-paw, an unusual fruit whose sweet, tropical flavor brought back memories of his childhood. Joe was fascinated that something that tasted like the tropics could thrive right here in New England, so he started planting. Sixteen years later, his East Providence backyard is home to approximately 40 pawpaw trees, along with hundreds of younger trees he has grown himself from seed.

My young daughters and I recently had the chance to step inside Joe's little tropical corner of East Providence — and, more importantly, taste the fruit that has inspired him for so many years. It didn't take long to understand his enthusiasm. A ripe paw-paw has soft, custard-like flesh and a flavor that's difficult to describe without naming half the tropical fruit section. Think banana, mango, papaya and pineapple all rolled into something entirely its own. We eagerly dug in, and it was delicious — sweet, creamy, tropical and unlike anything we had tried before. Joe had also made paw-paw ice cream with chunks of the fruit mixed throughout, which was another hit with all three of us.

For Joe, though, growing paw-paws isn't simply about having an unusual fruit tree in his backyard. He wants other people to discover them, grow them and share them. His goal is an ambitious — and a wonderfully fun one: “Let's make Rhode Island the capital of the paw-paw.”

Joe says paw-paws are surprisingly easy to grow in Rhode Island. They prefer more sun than shade, and after a few years of patience, growers can begin enjoying fruit of their own. Even before they produce fruit, the trees put on a show. In the spring, paw-paws produce beautiful flowers, and by the time the fruit begins ripening in September, Joe says, “your yard will smell tropical.” He even gave my daughters a hands-on lesson, showing them how to plant the young trees themselves. Watching them learn from someone who so clearly loves growing and sharing things was one of my favorite parts of our time there.

And paw-paws are only the beginning of what's growing in Joe's yard. As a garden enthusiast myself, I was impressed — and admittedly a little excited — by nearly everything he showed us. Walking around his property felt a little like being on a private garden tour. We tasted flowers filled with natural sugars that attract birds and stopped to see his chestnut trees. I had never realized chestnuts grow inside such incredibly spiky outer shells, which help protect what's growing inside from the squirrels. Joe showed us herbs, lilacs, trumpet trees, passion fruit trees, holly, and plants traditionally associated with aspirin. We saw Brazilian eggplant and another plant Joe called sawa sawa, whose seeds he carefully saves so he can grow even more. Joe is still experimenting, too. He has plans to explore combining paw-paw with cherimoya, another sweet tropical fruit. It fits perfectly with his approach to gardening: there always seems to be something new to grow, save, taste, or try.

Everywhere we turned, there seemed to be another plant with a story behind it. That same creativity extends beyond his garden. A former restaurant owner, Joe still loves to cook, which, as someone who loves to cook myself, gave us even more to talk about. I especially enjoyed seeing the outdoor cooking area he has created, complete with his own brick oven and outdoor rotisserie. I even got to taste his own seasoning blend, fittingly called “Taste of the Island.” It was yet another personal touch in a backyard that seems to reflect Joe himself — creative, curious and always growing, cooking or creating something.

And then there was Angel. Just when my daughters might have thought our visit couldn't get much more interesting, we met Joe's 26-year-old cockatoo, Angel, who was born right here in East Providence. Angel talked and sang to us — and even danced for us. Needless to say, he was a hit.

But what stayed with me most after our visit wasn't any one plant, the dancing cockatoo or even the taste of our first fresh paw-paw. It was Joe's genuine excitement about sharing all of it. A seed becomes a tree. A tree produces fruit. That fruit produces more seeds, and those seeds become more trees. If Joe gets his wish, they'll eventually spread from his backyard into yards throughout the state.

So, if you happen to see the wagon out front at 159 Grove Avenue this September (thru October), stop, meet Joe, and try a paw-paw. You may just leave inspired to grow one yourself. My girls and I certainly did — we left with three young paw-paw trees of our own, ready to plant and, hopefully, become a little piece of Joe’s dream taking root in our own backyard. And who knows? Maybe Rhode Island really could become the paw-paw capital after all.