Fauna
Plant

Pickerelweed

Pontederia cordata

Also known as Pickerel Weed, Heartleaf Pickerelweed

Emergent aquatic perennials anchor their thick rhizomes deep into muddy substrate along sunny lake edges, sluggish streams, and marsh margins. Vibrant blue-purple flower spikes rise above glossy, heart-shaped leaves throughout summer, drawing hordes of bumblebees, butterflies, and native solitary bees. Young waterfowl take shelter among the dense clusters of stems while aquatic insects and small fish thrive in the underwater tangled root mats.

AquaticFloweringPerennial
Pickerelweed reference1 / 7
(c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPhotosynthetic (autotrophic)
Predators
  • Waterfowl
  • Muskrats
  • Herbivorous insects
ThreatsWetland destruction, invasive aquatic weeds, altered hydrology, water pollution
HabitatsFreshwater marshes, pond shores, lake margins, ditches, sluggish streams
Life spanPerennial (rhizomes survive indefinitely)
Classification
  1. OrderCommelinales
  2. FamilyPontederiaceae
  3. GenusPontederia
  4. SpeciesPontederia cordata
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Observation: Look for vibrant blue-purple spikes blooming continuously from late spring through early autumn.
  • Habitat context: Search along soft, muddy shorelines of calm ponds, sluggish rivers, and shallow marshes.
  • Wading care: Avoid trampling shallow bank roots when viewing aquatic wildlife sheltered among the stems.
Related species
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