PlantFiles: Pickerel Weed Pickerel Rush
Pontederia cordata

I enjoy these plants. But do respect its reputation of invasiveness, thus they're in a confined tub. The blue inflorescents, flowers are attractive.

Hello, I'm new, found Dave's site, thank god, as I was looking up the name of the plant our Lake Maintenance Mgr. gave me - pickle-weed. Of course, it was the wrong name. Our private development has been planting this plant at the shoreline of public areas on our 2-300 acre lakes, after he sprays to get rid of the plants growing in the lake that bother the boaters. The deepest part of the man-made lakes is only 20 ft. This plant has been growing like crazy! I would take some pictures but the mosquitoes are terrible since the flooding. As soon as I can, I am pulling these plants out. These plants are not to be around people, especially those with breathing problems or allergies. Even family pets, wildlife or fowl. I never saw this plant until it was bought & planted up here. And I'm 52 yrs old and have been here for 24 yrs. He planted them in July about 12 plants along our shoreline of 55 ft. At first they weren't doing so well, I thought it was the muck they were planted in. But once the rains started they went crazy! We now have a dense 55 ft x 3 ft & still growing. It seems they like, muck LOTS OF WATER and lime. They are pretty but I feel too dangerous especially during pollen season, I'm sick, have pets, like the ducks, geese, swans & raccoons. The flower is poisonous to all in my yard.

Saw these plants growing in ditches and waterways during my visit to Brunswick, Georgia. Lots of lovely purple blooms that attracted Black Swallowtail butterflies and various skippers. ~ Cat

Found in zones 10 as well.

I have never seen this species in the wild in Minnesota - overwintering it had failed as the plants tend to die and it rarely blooms. I use pots only because the ponds that I have is premolded so there is no way I can create its natural habitation.

grows among canna flaccida, also a SC native, in any water that is not too deep or fast moving. seen in ditches, lagoons, drainage ponds, swamps...any wet freshwater location

I had this planted in a pot at the edge of our pond with about 6" of water covering the pot. along with some other marginal plants. The pickeral weed thrived through several mild winters and bloomed fairly well each summer. Unfortunately it didn't make it over the harsh winter of 2003-2004 (-25 to -15 for several weeks in our area) and did not reappear last summer.

Pickerel rush/weed takes little care when potted, simply fertilize with a waterlily type fertilizer pill each spring or, if you fertilize more than a couple plants in a small pond, you may not need to fertilze this plant at all as the fertilizer will leach out into the pond anyway.

I rescued some of this from a nearby lot just as the bulldozers showed up. Stuck it quickly in a moist corner of my yard and didn't touch it. It was pretty dry at that time and it wasn't looking so healthy. Then came the rain and hurricanes and as of about a month ago, it had thrived and spread out a couple of feet. Originally it was just a shovel full. I found out tonight what's it's called thanks to another dave's garden member, NativePlantFan9 but unfortunately I had thought due to it's vigorous growth that it was invasive and I lawn mowered it . It's a FL native found in just about every county.

Ours doesn't bloom worth a darn.

Very pretty aquatic plant. Grows well here in Israel in garden fish ponds. My neighbor got one this summer and his is doing wonderfully. It hasn't been through a winter yet though, so I can't say how hardy it is in our climate.