Description of Pontederia cordata 'Alba' (White Pickerel Weed)

Pontederia cordata 'Alba' is white pickerel weed, a marginal plant with the same sturdy leaves as standard pickerel weed but with white flower spikes. It’s useful if you want a lighter look on the pond edge without losing summer flowering.

Appearance

Heart-shaped leaves rise from a clump, then white flower spikes appear in mid to late summer. Expect 60 to 90cm tall in good conditions.

Care Guide

Grow it as a marginal, ideally in a basket on a shelf. Warmth and sun improve flowering, especially with white forms.

• Sun: Full sun is best for flowers.
• Soil: Aquatic compost in a basket, topped with gravel.
• Water depth: Shallow water over the soil line, often around 10 to 30cm.
• Feeding: Aquatic fertiliser tablets help in containers.
• Tidy up: Cut back dead stems in late winter.

Divide in spring if the clump becomes crowded. Replant strong sections and it will fill in again quickly.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens with a true wet zone or pond shelf. It’s also handy for balancing colour schemes, especially alongside pink loosestrife, red lobelia, and darker foliage plants.

Plant it behind low ground covers like water forget-me-not so the stems don’t look bare at the base.

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