NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Pontederia cordata

Pickerelweed

Scientific Name:	Pontederia cordata
Genus:	Pontederia
Species Epithet:	cordata
Common Name:	Pickerelweed
Plant Type	Herb/Wildflower
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Pontederiaceae (Pickerelweed Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Invasive Status:	^(*Key)
Size:	1-3 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	Blue, Purple, Violet
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Wet, Aquatic
Bloom Time:	May, June, July, August, September, October
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Pontederia cordata var. cordata, Heartleaf Pickerelweed - Swamps, seepage areas, marshes, pond-shores, lake-shores. Common on the Coast, uncommon in the Piedmont, rare in the mountains. Global Rank: G5T5. Pontederia cordata var. lancifolia, Lanceleaf Pickerelweed - Marshes, pond-shores, lake-shores. Found only in the Coastal Plain where it is rare. Global Rank: G5TNR (Not yet ranked).
Leaf Arrangement:	Basal
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Highest Wildlife Value
Landscape Value:	Highly Recommended and Available
State Rank:	S5: Secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G_T_: Subspecies or Variety Rank (add status to NOTES section) ^(*Key)
Pickerel-weed blooming in a water garden Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Natural wetland habitat Morrow Mountain State Park, Stanly County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Developing inflorescence Water garden, Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Close-up of flower spike Morrow Mountain State Park, Stanly County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record