Pontederia cordata (Pickerel Plant)
Botanical name: Pontederia cordata
Common names: Pickerel Plant, Pickerelweed, Blue Pickerel
Family: Pontederiaceae
Origin: Eastern North America
Pickerelweed typically grows to about 2 to 3 Ft tall. Pickerelweed is an aquatic or marsh perennial with a cluster of erect arrowhead-shaped leaves arising from a single basal clump. Its leaves are large, up to 5" wide, and are usually twice as long. Leaf shapes are variable, but are usually lance-shaped. The easiest way to recognize pickerelweed is by its spike of violet-blue flowers. Sometimes the flowers are white. Plant pickerelweed in the margins of a garden pond or water garden. You can plant it in a pot, then set the pot in the water. That way you can change the depth and position of the plant if necessary. Cut flowers are strikingly beautiful when viewed up close, and although each individual flower lasts only one day, more will open each day and the entire inflorescence will last for several days in a vase of water. Propagation: The rootstock of large plants is easily divided.
