The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) produces the largest edible fruit native to the United States. This small, understory tree is found across a wide range, from the eastern states to the Midwest, growing in patches along stream banks and in forest gaps. This unique fruit plays a role in the local ecosystem, serving as a seasonal food source for wildlife. This article explores the relationship between deer and the pawpaw, examining the consumption of its fruit and its foliage.
Identifying the Pawpaw Fruit
The pawpaw fruit typically measures between two and six inches in length and sometimes weighs up to a pound, resembling a small potato or mango in shape. Its skin is light green when developing, gradually shifting to yellow or brown as it reaches peak ripeness in the late summer and early fall. The fruit’s interior is filled with a creamy, custard-like pulp that surrounds several large, dark brown seeds. This highly perishable fruit is seasonal, with its availability window lasting only a few weeks from late August through mid-October.
Consumption of Pawpaw Fruit by Deer
Deer consume the ripe pawpaw fruit, but it is a secondary food source rather than a dietary staple. Their interest is conditional, primarily focused on ripe specimens that have fallen to the forest floor. The intense, fruity aroma of the fallen pawpaws acts as a strong attractant for the animals. When preferred high-calorie foods like acorns or cultivated crops are scarce, the pawpaw offers a concentrated source of carbohydrates and minerals. Deer seek out patches during the peak dropping season in early autumn for this seasonal energy boost. The fruit provides nutrients like magnesium, iron, and potassium, which are beneficial leading into the colder months.
Deer Interaction with Pawpaw Foliage
Deer rarely browse on the pawpaw’s leaves, stems, or bark, contrasting sharply with their consumption of the fruit. The plant possesses a powerful natural defense mechanism in the form of specialized chemical compounds called acetogenins. These substances are concentrated in the foliage and wood, making the plant unpalatable and potentially toxic to many mammalian herbivores, including white-tailed deer. This chemical defense explains why pawpaw trees often thrive in areas with high deer populations, creating dense thickets where other palatable saplings are heavily browsed. Pawpaw saplings have shown significantly less than one percent evidence of deer browse damage in ecological studies. This avoidance provides the pawpaw with a competitive advantage in the forest understory.
Other Wildlife That Seek Pawpaws
While the deer’s interaction is limited to the ripe fruit, many other animals actively seek out the pawpaw during its short season. Raccoons, opossums, and squirrels are primary consumers of the fallen fruit, often finding the fermenting pulp first. Various bird species, including wild turkeys, also feed on the dropped fruit. Foxes and other small mammals consume the pawpaw, attracted by the strong scent and soft texture. These animals play a consistent role in the seed dispersal of the pawpaw. By eating the fruit and passing the large seeds intact, these smaller animals help establish new pawpaw patches across the forest landscape.