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Pickerelweed

Pontederia cordata

—
Not scored

Native status: sources disagree, under review. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
2–4 feet
Spread
1.5–2 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Moist to standing water

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Late spring
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 1 West Virginia county.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

6CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Pontederia

  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Bellura densaPickerel Weed Border Moth, Pickerelweed Diver
  • Bellura gortynoidesWhite-Tailed Diver
  • Bellura obliquaCattail Border Moth, Cattail Diver
  • Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Pontederia

  • Dufourea novaeangliae
  • Melissodes apicatus
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Pontederiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–10b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Blue or purple
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Grows in clumps
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Late spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Blue or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Grows in clumps” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “2–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil · “Frequent standing water; Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “1.5–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Pickerel Weed

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSNA
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources