Identifying a Pond Plant: Pickerelweed, Not Arrowhead

Spear-shaped leaves, 10″ long, 3–4″ wide, rhizomatous roots, invasive at pond edges in southern Ontario? Your photo confirms Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)—not arrowhead.

Pickerelweed vs. Arrowhead

Pickerelweed Care

• Sun: Full sun to part shade.
• Depth: 6–12″ water over crown.
• Containment: Plant in 2–3 gal pots—spreads aggressively.
• Division: Every 2–3 years in spring.
• Wildlife: Bees, butterflies, dragonflies love flowers. Seeds feed ducks.

If It's Too Invasive

• Pot it (submerged pot rim 1″ below water).
• Root-prune annually.
• Or replace with less aggressive native (blue flag iris, soft rush).

Pickerelweed is a beautiful, hardy native. Manage its spread, and it's a star of the marginal shelf.