Pondberry

CBHR technicians monitoring pondberry populations. (Forest Service photo)
Pondberry (Lindera melissifolia) is a rarely seen woody plant that grows in seasonally flooded wetlands and on the edges of sinks and ponds in six southern states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as an endangered species in 1986. Much of the land where pondberry previously occurred has been converted to agricultural fields. Drainage and flooding of wetlands and timber cutting have also affected pondberry populations.
As part of a conservation program, it is essential to find all of the existing pondberry populations so that we may follow the growth or decline of the species. The publication entitled A guide to finding pondberry is designed to help both amateurs and professionals correctly identify pondberry throughout the year. If you find a new population of pondberry, please contact us. We will add your information to the database we use to track pondberry populations in the South.