Pickerelweed
Ease to Grow: Easy
Dormancy: Yes
Native Range: Wetlands of Eastern North and South America
Zones: 3-9 (2-10)
Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata, is an emergent perennial with broad, sword shaped leaves and charming, tubular, blue and purple flowers on tall spikes. The flowers attract many insects, that become prey to carnivorous plants. The leaves are large, waxy, and quite succulent. It is winter hardy, and prefers growing along the water's edge. It is a prolific grower, tolerating a wide range of wet growing conditions. The rhizomes can grow rapidly, forming a nice colony of plants in a season. It is an excellent companion for bladderworts and Aldrovanda, providing dappled light, and organic matter to the water, essential for the development of micro organisms that become the prey for aquatic carnivorous plants. It is propagated from seeds and cuttings. Seeds are edible and leaves can be cooked like spinach.
For Pickerelweed, each portion is a rooted, growing plant and size refers to age: small (1 year), medium (2 years), large (3+ years old).
Plants are shipped bare-root, wrapped in damp sphagnum moss. In it's dormant season, it will be shipped as a dormant rhizomes with trimmed leaves. Photographs are representative of species and not the specific Pickerelweed for sale.
Height: 8" - 16+"
Plant Type: Perennial, cold temperate
Soil: General Bog Mix
Soil pH: 5.5-7
Light: Full to Partial Sun
Use: Tall, stately blue flowers
