Pondherry or Southern Spicebush
(Lindera melissifolia )
ENDANGERED

Family:
Laurel
Flowering/Fruiting Dates:
Feburary-March/September-October

Habitat:
Bottomland hardwood habitats in Mississippi, Missouri,
and Arkansas; margins of sinks, ponds, and depressions in
the pinelands of coastal North and South Carolina.
Distinguishing Characters:
Deciduous, aromatic shrub up to 6 feet in height; grows in
dense clumps of numerous, usually unbranched stems;
leaves drooping thin, ovate to elliptic shaped: separate male
and female plants; both with small yellow flowers: fruits
berries, bright red, and 2 to 3 inches in length at maturity.
Strong, sassafras-like odor when leaves are crushed.
Threats:
Timber-harvesting; wetland drainage; road construct ion,
and conversion of its habitat to agricultural use.
Management Needed:
No active management needed; hydrology and canopy
coverage of sites should be kept intact.