Pontederia Species, Heartleaf Pickerelweed, Pickerel Rush, Pickerel Weed

Seeds are listed on Plants for a Future site as not only edible, but having an "acceptable nutty flavor", and the entire plant is edible ...Read Moreby humans. The plant is also a source of food for wildlife, particularly water fowl.

Several sites including the respected Kemper Center for For Home Gardening list all parts of the plant as edible.

I have had Pickerell Weed for three yrs and I love it. It is in a container about 6 in deep and about 24 in diameter and it blooms wonder...Read Morefully. I put fertilizer tabs in the soil once in the spring, and that is all the care I give it other than making sure that the container is filled with water every 3-4 days

I enjoy these plants. But do respect its reputation of invasiveness, thus they're in a confined tub. The blue inflorescents, flowers ar...Read Moree attractive.

Hello, I'm new, found Dave's site, thank god, as I was looking up the name of the plant our Lake Maintenance Mgr. gave me - pickle-weed. ...Read MoreOf course, it was the wrong name. Our private development has been planting this plant at the shoreline of public areas on our 2-300 acre lakes, after he sprays to get rid of the plants growing in the lake that bother the boaters. The deepest part of the man-made lakes is only 20 ft. This plant has been growing like crazy! I would take some pictures but the mosquitoes are terrible since the flooding. As soon as I can, I am pulling these plants out. These plants are not to be around people, especially those with breathing problems or allergies. Even family pets, wildlife or fowl. I never saw this plant until it was bought & planted up here. And I'm 52 yrs old and have been here for 24 yrs. He planted them in July about 12 plants along our shoreline of 55 ft. At first they weren't doing so well, I thought it was the muck they were planted in. But once the rains started they went crazy! We now have a dense 55 ft x 3 ft & still growing. It seems they like, muck LOTS OF WATER and lime. They are pretty but I feel too dangerous especially during pollen season, I'm sick, have pets, like the ducks, geese, swans & raccoons. The flower is poisonous to all in my yard.

Saw these plants growing in ditches and waterways during my visit to Brunswick, Georgia. Lots of lovely purple blooms that attracted Bla...Read Moreck Swallowtail butterflies and various skippers. ~ Cat

Found in zones 10 as well.

I have never seen this species in the wild in Minnesota - overwintering it had failed as the plants tend to die and it rarely blooms. I u...Read Morese pots only because the ponds that I have is premolded so there is no way I can create its natural habitation.

grows among canna flaccida, also a SC native, in any water that is not too deep or fast moving. seen in ditches, lagoons, drainage ponds,...Read More swamps...any wet freshwater location

I had this planted in a pot at the edge of our pond with about 6" of water covering the pot. along with some other marginal plants. The ...Read Morepickeral weed thrived through several mild winters and bloomed fairly well each summer. Unfortunately it didn't make it over the harsh winter of 2003-2004 (-25 to -15 for several weeks in our area) and did not reappear last summer.

Pickerel rush/weed takes little care when potted, simply fertilize with a waterlily type fertilizer pill each spring or, if you fertilize more than a couple plants in a small pond, you may not need to fertilze this plant at all as the fertilizer will leach out into the pond anyway.

I rescued some of this from a nearby lot just as the bulldozers showed up. Stuck it quickly in a moist corner of my yard and didn't touch...Read More it. It was pretty dry at that time and it wasn't looking so healthy. Then came the rain and hurricanes and as of about a month ago, it had thrived and spread out a couple of feet. Originally it was just a shovel full. I found out tonight what's it's called thanks to another dave's garden member, NativePlantFan9 but unfortunately I had thought due to it's vigorous growth that it was invasive and I lawn mowered it . It's a FL native found in just about every county.

Ours doesn't bloom worth a darn.

Very pretty aquatic plant. Grows well here in Israel in garden fish ponds. My neighbor got one this summer and his is doing wonderfully. ...Read MoreIt hasn't been through a winter yet though, so I can't say how hardy it is in our climate.