Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
A native aquatic perennial of pond margins and marshes, bearing glossy heart-shaped leaves and spikes of violet-blue flowers all summer long.
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Aquatic; shallow standing water
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Overview
Pickerelweed is a vigorous native emergent aquatic plant that thrives in the shallow water of ponds, marshes, and slow streams across eastern North America. Its lush, glossy, heart-shaped leaves rise above the water on long stalks, accompanied by showy spikes of soft violet-blue flowers throughout the summer.
The plant takes its name from the pickerel, a fish said to favor the same shallow waters. It spreads by creeping rhizomes to form dense, attractive colonies that provide cover for aquatic life and a long season of bloom for pollinators.
How to identify it
- Flowers: Violet-blue, small, two-lipped, densely packed in an upright spike; each upper lobe marked with a yellow spot
- Leaves: Large, glossy, heart- to arrow-shaped, on long stalks held above the water
- Habit: Emergent aquatic perennial spreading by rhizomes; 2-4 feet above the water
- Bloom time: Early summer through early fall
- Fruit: Seeds borne in small fleshy capsules
Care & growing
Pickerelweed is easy in the right wet setting.
- Light: Full sun to partial shade; flowers best in sun
- Water: Aquatic; grows in saturated soil or shallow standing water up to about a foot deep
- Soil: Rich, mucky pond or marsh soil; thrives in containers submerged in water gardens
- Temperature: Hardy in USDA zones 3-10
- Feeding: Rarely needed in fertile mud
- Propagation: By dividing rhizomes or by seed
Habitat & origin
Pontederia cordata is native to eastern and central North and South America.
It grows in the shallow margins of ponds, lakes, marshes, swamps, and slow-moving streams, as well as in ditches and wet meadows. It is a common and beneficial component of native freshwater wetland communities and a popular choice for water and rain gardens.
Frequently asked questions
Can pickerelweed grow in a container pond?
Yes, it grows well in pots of rich soil submerged in shallow water, making it ideal for container water gardens and small ponds.
How deep can it grow?
It tolerates saturated soil up to roughly a foot of standing water over its roots, thriving along the shallow shelf at a pond's edge.
Is it good for wildlife?
Very much so; it offers nectar for pollinators, cover for fish and waterfowl, and helps stabilize shorelines and filter the water.
How do I recognize pickerelweed?
Look for glossy heart- to arrow-shaped leaves on long stalks held above the water, topped in summer by upright spikes of violet-blue, yellow-spotted flowers.
Pickerelweed guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Pickerelweed.
