Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
Family Pontederiaceae
True blue is rare in flowers; pickerelweed serves it for months. This native raises spike after spike of blue blossoms above glossy arrowhead leaves at the pond margin from summer into fall, and the whole stand hums — bees and butterflies up top, waterfowl gleaning the seeds below.
Give it shallow water or saturated ground and it knits into a lush two-to-three-foot colony that holds a pond edge or rain-garden low spot together. Trouble-free across zones 3 to 10, it's the easiest way to make a wet spot the richest habitat on the property. Plant a clump at the margin.
Full Sun to Part Shade
High water
Moderate growth
Native to North America
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing pickerelweed? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries pickerelweed — Pontederia cordata, print Nº 366, “Pickerelweed.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what pickerelweed actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-10Pickerelweed · Common problems
Common pickerelweed problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Pickerelweed · Growing & propagation
Growing pickerelweed
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Aquatic/bog
Shallow water or saturated soil at the pond edge
Soil- Heavy loam, submerged 2-10 in · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- Aquatic tabs occasionally
Pruning- Cut back in fall
A native marginal for the shallow edge of a pond or a bog container: plant in a submerged pot at the water's edge. Long-blooming, spreads by rhizome into handsome colonies, and hums with pollinators all summer.
Spacing- 1 ft
How to plant & propagate pickerelweed
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Pickerelweed · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Pickerelweed · Yearly calendar
The pickerelweed year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomPruneBloomJune to November
PruneSeptember to November
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Pickerelweed · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Pontederia cordata
Pickerelweed in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
Habitat- Wetland
Moisture- Wetland / wet-tolerant
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What pickerelweed is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenseeds/leaves edible
Use- Pond edges
- Use
- Native pollinator
- Use
- Rain gardens
Harvesting & storing pickerelweed
Seeds and young leaves edible (historically).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Pickerelweed · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a pickerelweed variety
Species (blue); 'Alba' (white)
Sources & plant identity
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Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Pontederia cordata
- Plant family
- Pontederiaceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- POCO14
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
Questions
Pickerelweed questions, answered straight.
Is pickerelweed safe for kids and pets?
Pickerelweed is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: seeds/leaves edible. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest pickerelweed?
Seeds and young leaves edible (historically).
How do you propagate pickerelweed?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where pickerelweed sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily