Pontederia cordata

Scientific Name: Pontederia cordata

Common Name: pickerel weed

Native Range: Eastern North America to Caribbean

Zone: 3 to 10

Plant type & Form: Herbaceous perennial

Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet

Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet

Bloom Time: June to October

Bloom Description: Soft blue

Flower: Tiny, tubular, soft blue flowers densely packed on 1-2′ stalks

Fruit: Starchy seeds with distinctive toothed ridges

Leaf: Glossy, narrow, arrowhead-shaped green leaves with cordate bases (up to 10″ long)

Sun: Full sun

Water: Wet

Soil type & pH: Can tolerate a variety of soils as long as they are wet

Maintenance: Medium

Suggested Use: Water plant, naturalize, rain garden

Tolerates:

Notes: This is an emergent plant that grows in dense colonies. Dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs on these plant stems and fish find shelter in the clumps of this plant.

Identification notes: Look for an emergent plant with large arrowhead-shaped leaves. The leaves will typically be pointed at the ends and rounded at the base. The flowers are a pale blue/ light purple color and grow in spikes.