Flower profile

Pickerelweed

Pontederia cordata

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) is a flowering plant in the Pontederiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Pickerelweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 13 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

35states where USDA records it

13Bloomipedia state lists include it

41,587U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia

Quick look

Pontederia cordata, common name pickerelweed (USA) or pickerel weed (UK), is a monocotyledonous aquatic plant native to the Americas. It grows in a variety of wetlands, including pond and lake margins across an extremely large range from eastern Canada south to Argentina. A few examples include northern rivers, the Everglades and Louisiana.
From Wikipedia's article Pontederia cordata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Pontederiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 35 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. ^iNaturalist
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3.2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 10,550 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #6 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,489 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #99 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,296 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #63 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (5,427 records)

Bloom time in the 13 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Florida	Native	March–May	10,550
New York	Native	June–August	2,489
Massachusetts	Native	June–August	2,296
Virginia	Native	May–September	1,880
Maryland	Native	June–September	1,807
Louisiana	Native	April–October	1,381
Maine	Native	July–August	1,290
New Hampshire	Native	July–August	1,107
New Jersey	Native	June–September	995
South Carolina	Native	May–September	908
Connecticut	Native	June–August	696
Rhode Island	Native	few records (29)	268
Delaware	Native	June–August	197

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 11 of our 13 states.

See each state

Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S5, secure in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}

Louisiana

No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.

South Carolina

No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Carolina.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S1), OK (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Seeds can be eaten raw or dried. Young leaves can be used in salads.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records pickerelweed in 35 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton.

New York counties with USDA records: Allegany, Bronx, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Pickerelweed a high shade tolerance, none drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.9 to 8.7 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: None
Moisture use: High
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 4.9 to 8.7
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 110
Annual precipitation range: 40 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 10 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: seed, sprigs
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for POCO14. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Pontederia lanceolata.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 672 counties across 35 states; the most are in Florida (61), Michigan (51), North Carolina (48).

Other Pontederia on Bloomipedia (1): Common water hyacinth.

More Florida flowers

Common water hyacinth

Pontederia crassipes

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: May–November

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile POCO14.
iNaturalist, Pontederia cordata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Pontederia cordata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (22):
Show all 22 state lists
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
- Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
- New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Pontederia cordata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Laura J. Costello via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.