The illustrated growing guide
Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
Family Pontederiaceae
Est. zones 3-10
One of the best native plants for a pond edge — spikes of true-blue flowers held over glossy arrowhead leaves for months, alive with bees and butterflies, with seeds that feed waterfowl. It grows in shallow water or saturated soil at the margin, spreading into a lush colony. Long-blooming, trouble-free, and ecologically rich for any water garden or rain-garden low spot.
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 Pond & Water Garden collection carries pickerelweed — Pontederia cordata, print Nº 3, “Pickerelweed.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will pickerelweed suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
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 at a glance
Common pickerelweed problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow pickerelweed: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate pickerelweed
III
The year
What pickerelweed asks for, month by month.
The pickerelweed year, month by month
BloomPruneWhat 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.
The pickerelweed year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul bloom
- Aug bloom
- Sep bloom, pruning
- Oct bloom, pruning
- Nov bloom, pruning
- Dec quiet month
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.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Pickerelweed in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
What pickerelweed is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenseeds/leaves edible
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.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of pickerelweed, ruled as a catalogue.
Best pickerelweed varieties & cultivars
Species (blue); 'Alba' (white)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to pickerelweedyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
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.
VIII
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.
IX
Elsewhere
Where pickerelweed sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily