Pawpaws, Persimmons, and 'Possums: On the Natural Distribution of Pawpaws in the Northeast

Abstract

The northern distribution of the pawpaw ( Asimina triloba) is reviewed in terms of the likelihood that Iroquois populations were directly responsible for its extension into southern Ontario and western New York, a proposition advanced by Keener and Kuhns (1997). Their argument is flawed by ignoring or misrepresenting other probable means of dispersal and by coloring or selecting evidence to strengthen their case. It is concluded that natural dispersal by a variety of medium to large mammals is an adequate explanation, and there is insufficient reason to believe that Iroquois trade or warfare was a significant or even viable mechanism for the widespread growth of Asimina in the Carolinian biotic province of southern Ontario and western New York.