Practical
Plants

Pontederia cordata

Pickerel Weed

a perennial member of the Pontederia genus in the family Pontederiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.75 m
Spread
0.45 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw, cooked like rice or dried and ground into a powder[10][12][3][5]. An very acceptable nutty flavour and texture when raw, they are said to be excellent if the seed is lightly roasted in an oven[5]. Young leafstalks - raw or cooked[12]. The whole plant is edible cooked or raw[3]. It can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or added to soups[5].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the plant has been used as a contraceptive[9].

Product or use
Contraceptive

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Florida andTexas. A garden escape occ naturalized in Britain[4]
Habitat
Marshes and borders of muddy ponds[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[7]. 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[1]. 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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A water or bog garden plant, it requires a rich soil[11] and prefers growing in water 15 - 30 cm deep[1]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c[6]. A very ornamental plant, it forms spreading patches by means of a thick creeping rhizome[6]. 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[2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Haywood. V. H. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-217674-9

    ↩

  3. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

    ↩1↩2

  4. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  8. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  9. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩

  10. Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  11. Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7

    ↩

  12. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2

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