Endangered Species Guidesheet

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PONDBERRY

Lindera melissifolia

Pondberry, also called Southern spicebush, is a medium-sized shrub that grows in swampy depressions in lowland forests. In Missouri, only one population occurs, and it is located in southern Ripley County. It may have always been restricted to low sandy depressions occupying only a few square miles of wetland habitat. Loss of habitat has been and remains the most significant threat to this plant, though nearly all of the remaining populations now occur on managed land. Pondberry is listed ENDANGERED by the Missouri Department of Conservation and ENDANGERED by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Identification

Pondberry is a perennial, deciduous shrub that grows 1 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet tall. It spreads vegetatively by rhizomes (runners that extend just below the surface and take root to produce new plants). This shrub produces pale yellow flowers in February or March before its leaves emerge. Pondberry leaves are long, oval, untoothed and droop from the branches. The lower surface of each leaf is slightly hairy. The leaves have a strong sassafras-like aroma when crushed. Pondberry produces bright red elliptical fruits during late summer; fruits mature during the fall.

Another Missouri plant that is closely related to pondberry is the common spicebush. Pondberry is very similar and difficult to distinguish from spicebush.

For a technical description of this plant refer to:Steyermark, J.A. 1963. Flora of Missouri. Iowa State Press. Ames, Iowa. 1728 pp.

Habitat and Distribution

Pondberry occurs in poorly drained, swampy depressions associated with small sand dunes. These depressions are typically underwater (up to 12 inches) during the spring but are dry by autumn. Overstory vegetation is typically a closed canopy of mature bottomland hardwoods. Pondberry grows on these low level areas and is not found on the higher dunes. Pondberry competes poorly with shade-intolerant plants and is most often found in shaded areas. It does not do well during severe drought and dies back after hard winters.

In Missouri, pondberry is found only in Ripley County of the Missouri Lowlands Region. This population is believed to be the northern remnant of a much larger population that once occurred in the Mississippi lowlands of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Many of the plants occur on protected land (Sand Ponds Conservation Area), but some also occur on private land managed by the Nature Conservancy.

Cause of Historic Decline

Missouri is the northern limit of the pondberry's range. As a result, pondberry was probably never widespread or abundant. Pondberry is associated with hardwood bottomland forests, and most of the remaining populations are located on one protected site. The clearing of bottomland forests and the draining of wetlands caused populations of pondberry to decline. Currently, management efforts are focused on protecting and managing existing populations. Landowners can help protect the habitat of this rare plant.

Current Threats to Pondberry

• Habitat alteration or destruction Logging and agricultural activities can alter or destroy the pondberry's habitat. Recent unauthorized timber harvesting adversely impacted Missouri's population. Drainage ditching can alter the water patterns in an area and eliminate populations of pondberry.
• Small populations and a low reproductive rate Pondberry is a widely scattered species with small populations, making it vulnerable to local extinctions. Observations have shown that pondberry regularly produces mature fruits, but no seedlings have been observed.

Protection and Management: Steps Toward Recovery

Pondberry is primarily restricted to one protected location managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy. Adequate land protection and proper land management on this site will ensure the continued survival of this plant. Efforts are being made to understand the reproduction of pondberry, reintroduce pondberry into suitable habitats, expand wetlands, and control exotics. Landowners can help with these efforts by protecting wetland and bottomland areas.

Restore forest buffers in bottomland areas where pondberry occurs. Pondberry is associated with mature hardwood forests and these areas should be protected or restored. Avoid altering the hydrology in areas where pondberry occurs. Do not drain, ditch, or fill wetlands, and if possible, restore wetlands in suitable areas.

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Missouri and federal law prohibits the exportation, transportation, or sale of plants on the State or Federal lists.

For more information on pondberry, pondberry management, or to report sightings of this species, contact:

Endangered Species Coordinator or Wildlife Ecologist Missouri Department of Conservation Natural History Division P.O. Box 180 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (314)751-4115

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