Blue Pickerel Rush 'Hevenly blue' (Pontederia cordata) – Pond Plants

Introduction

Blue Pickerel Rush (Pontederia cordata) is one of the best pond plants you can add to your water garden. With its stunning spikes of violet-blue flowers, lush green foliage, and easy-growing nature, this plant creates beauty while improving the health of your pond. Native to North America, Blue Pickerel Rush is hardy, reliable, and adored by pollinators such as butterflies and bees.

When you buy pond plants like Blue Pickerel Rush, you’re not just adding color – you’re choosing a natural water clarifier. This hardy pond plant thrives in shallow water, making it perfect for bog filters, koi ponds, and decorative water gardens. It also helps reduce algae, keeps the water clearer, and provides shelter for fish. Blue Pickerel Rush is a top choice when purchasing pond plants that combine beauty and function.

Acclimation & Planting Instructions (Step-by-Step)

On Arrival:

1. Unpack Blue Pickerel Rush immediately and keep the roots moist until planting.

2. If stressed from shipping, place the plant in shallow water in the shade for 1–2 days to recover.

Planting Instructions:

1. Fill a PondGrow Aquatic Fabric Pot with Handles with heavy loam or our PondGro Aquatic Planting Soil (do not use gravel, compost, or bagged potting soil).

2. Place Blue Pickerel Rush into the soil and cover the roots firmly, leaving the crown above the soil line.

3. Slowly lower the pot into your pond. The correct planting depth is from the top of the soil in the pot to the water’s surface: ideally, 3–8 inches.

4. Place in full sun to part sun for best flowering.

5. Fertilize monthly during the growing season with aquatic fertilizer tablets pushed into the soil.

Do’s and Don’ts of Blue Pickerel Rush

✅ Do’s

• Do plant Blue Pickerel Rush in PondGro soil or another heavy loam.

• Do use PondGrow fabric pots with handles for easy moving.

• Do fertilize regularly during the season for vibrant blooms.

• Do place Blue Pickerel Rush in full sun or part sun for abundant flowers.

❌ Don’ts

• Don’t plant Blue Pickerel Rush in gravel, sand, or bagged potting soil.

• Don’t fully submerge the crown under soil or water.

• Don’t leave Blue Pickerel Rush roots exposed or unplanted.

Benefits of Blue Pickerel Rush

• Cleans and clarifies pond water naturally.

• Helps reduce algae growth and promotes a healthier pond ecosystem.

• Provides habitat and shelter for koi, goldfish, and beneficial pond life.

• Produces striking violet-blue flowers that attract butterflies and pollinators.

• Winter-hardy and dependable, returning year after year in zones 4–11.

By adding Blue Pickerel Rush to your pond, you’re not only enhancing its beauty but also ensuring cleaner, clearer, and healthier water for fish and plants alike.

Spec Sheet – Blue Pickerel Rush (Pontederia cordata)

• USDA Zones: 4–11 (hardy pond plant; winter safe in most zones)

• Light: Full sun to part shade

• Placement: Shelf plant or shallow bog filter plant

• Depth: 3–8 inches measured from top of soil to the water’s surface

• Growth Habit: Upright clumping perennial with summer-blooming flowers

Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee live, healthy arrival of your Blue Pickerel Rush! Please inspect your plant upon delivery and contact us within 24 hours with photos at PondQuestions@gmail.com if anything arrives in less-than-perfect condition.

Shipping Information

Your Blue Pickerel Rush ships according to seasonal cold tolerance for your area. Early spring shipments are timed for safe arrival, and we continue shipping through summer’s end. Plants are shipped bare root, ready to pot in PondGro soil and PondGrow fabric pots.