Pickerel Weed
Pontederia cordata
Family: Pontederiaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Blue, Lavender. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Late summer, Late spring, Mid summer. Form: Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.
Pontederia cordata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.
Height (m): 0.8
Where it is found
Marshes and borders of muddy ponds.
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Florida andTexas. A garden escape occ naturalized in Britain
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Seed - raw, cooked like rice or dried and ground into a powder. A very acceptable nutty flavour and texture when raw, they are said to be excellent if the seed is lightly roasted in an oven. Young leafstalks - raw or cooked. The whole plant is edible cooked or raw. It can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or added to soups.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 1
An infusion of the plant has been used as a contraceptive.
Contraceptive: Prevents fertilization occurring in females.
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Container, Specimen. A water or bog garden plant, it requires a rich soil and prefers growing in water 15 - 30 cm deep. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. A very ornamental plant, it forms spreading patches by means of a thick creeping rhizome. There is a species of bee (Dufourea novae-angliae) which visits this plant for nectar and pollen and does not visit any other species of plant. The reproductive biology of Pontederia cordata has been well studied. It is a tristylous species, and most populations contain all three forms. At least some degree of self-incompatibility exists, being strongest with the short-style forms and weakest with the midstyle forms. Special Features:Attracts birds, Attractive foliage, North American native, Grows submerged, Invasive, Naturalizing, Wetlands plant, Suitable for cut flowers, Extended bloom season in Zones 9A and above, Attractive flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in pots standing in 2cm of water in a cold frame. Cover the seed lightly with silver sand. Submerse in 3cm depth of water after the seedlings emerge. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in water in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division is best in April but it can be done at almost any time of the year. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Lateral shoots.
Best place to grow: Pond; Bog Garden;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-11
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Wet, water