Pondberry in Peril from Laurel Wilt | St. Louis News

Missouri’s rare pondberry is in grave danger as laurel wilt disease, carried by an invasive beetle, inches closer—already devastating neighbors like Tennessee and Arkansas. This fungus kills laurel-family plants by blocking their waterways, and with habitat loss and the plant’s need for both male and female partners to reproduce, the pondberry’s survival is hanging by a thread. Conservationists at the Missouri Botanical Garden have been working since 1985 to save it, but time is running out. There’s no cure for laurel wilt, but you can help: don’t move firewood across state lines—it’s the best way to slow the spread of this silent killer. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/26319840ee015bdc