Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
ID: #795820
Description
Pontederia cordata, common name pickerelweed or pickerelweed, is a perennial emergent aquatic plant native to the American continent. It grows in a variety of wetlands, including pond and lake margins. It can reach 3-4' in height. The stems and leaves emerge annually from a thick pad of fibrous roots. It seldom grows in water above 3 feet in depth. Pickerelweed's deep green, waxy leaves emerge at the end of the stems. They are quite variable in shape and size. They are arrowhead or heart-shaped, ranging in size from 2 to 10 inches in length and 1 to 6 inches in width. It produces showy purple-blue flowers on a spike up to six inches long. The flowers bloom in succession from the bottom up. Each flower lasts only about a day. The fruit of Pickerelweed is a small, ridged, dry seed. It is tightly clustered along a spike, and changes from green to tan or light brown. Both the leaves and the seeds are said to be edible for humans. Some sources claim that the seeds, which reportedly have a nutty flavor, can be eaten like nuts straight from the plant or dried and added to cereal. The young leaves have sometimes been eaten raw in salads, cooked like spinach, or added to soups. For wildlife there are many values. The seed is eaten by many waterfowl. Fish, and to some extent birds and small mammals use the foliage for cover. Bees are Pickerelweed's primary pollinators. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are also occasional pollinators. Pickerelweed also provides birth sites for dragonflies and damselflies.
Price
$9.00
Last Updated
10 August 2026, 10:45 UTC
Store Information
physical store
Location
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Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
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Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa)
$11.00
Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa , also known as Seminole balsamo, is a shade-tolerant medium-sized evergreen shrub, with glossy leaves, which grows to 4' and native to Florida. It will typically only reach 4' in full sun and will grow much taller in shade. So while it grows in sun or shade, it will do best in partial to full shade. Its small white blooms in spring are a great nectar source for bees and other pollinators. It produces a small, red fruit that resembles "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds. Though the "beans" contain no caffeine, they can be roasted and consumed as a coffee-like beverage. The seeds turn black in late winter. It is moderately salt-tolerant. It is also the host plant for the Coffee-loving pyrausta - Pyrausta laticlavia moth.
Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)
$1.25
Aquatic milkweed ( Asclepias perennis ) a great evergreen Florida native perennial milkweed, but quite a different species from Swamp Milkweed ( A. incarnata) . It can survive lower amounts of direct sunlight than our other native species, while also handling full sun. It can become lankier during the season but a terrific native as it is available all year to our beloved Monarchs. Aquatic milkweed can tolerate 2-3 months of drought in our Florida sandy soils but also does very well in extremely wet and nearly underwater conditions during the Florida rainy seasons. A mature height in the late spring can reach about 2 - 3' feet. Each is densely covered by lance-shaped deep green leaves approximately 3-5 inches in length. I have witnessed during a few years of milkweed research studies in Central Florida this plant flowers and pushes seed pods in Florida winter months. The flowers are bright white with an occasional hue of pale pink before opening. This wildflower is commonly propagated for home gardeners and is quite hardy. It is also a good specimen for container growing. I plant it in shady areas around my yard that get a mix of filtered sun and shade as well as some areas that are full sun - the plants do well in pretty much any condition Florida seems to throw at it. If you have sprinklers hitting it regularly, it will receive enough water from my experience of having it side by side with 7 other milkweed species. This one is my favorite since it grows year round in Florida!