Pondberry

The pondberry is a deciduous shrub that grows from 1 1/2 to 6 feet tall. It spreads vegetatively by stolons. The pale yellow flowers appear in the spring before the leaves.  The bright red oval-shaped fruits mature in the fall. Pondberry is distinguished by its drooping, thin, membranaceous, and ovately to elliptically shaped leaves that have a strong, sassafras-like odor when crushed.

Reproduction seems to be primarily vegetative by means of stolons. The plants grow in clones of numerous stems which flower when little more than 2 to 3 years of age, but appear to live for only a few years. The dead stems are replaced by new ones that emerge from the rootstock. The plants bloom around March and are dioecious (male and female flowers are produced on separate plants). Mature fruits can be found on the plants in October, but they seem to have no reproductive value as no seedings have been observed at any of the known sites.

The pondberry, primarily, is associated with wetland habitats such as bottomland and hardwoods in the interior areas, and the margins of sinks, ponds and other depressions in the more coastal sites. The plants generally grow in shaded areas but may also be found in full sun.