Pontederia cordata, commonly called pickerelweed, is a perennial aquatic plant in the family Pontederiaceae. The genus name Pontederia honors Giulio Pontedera, an 18th-century Italian botanist, while cordata derives from Latin, meaning “heart-shaped,” in reference to the plant’s leaves. It is native to North America, ranging from Canada through the eastern United States to South America.

Historically, Indigenous peoples of North America used pickerelweed as both a food and a medicinal resource. The nutlike seeds were parched, ground into flour, or eaten raw, while the young leaf stalks and shoots were boiled and consumed as greens. The plant was also part of riparian management, valued for stabilizing water edges and providing food for wildlife. In modern times, pickerelweed is less commonly eaten by humans but continues to play an ecological role in wetlands, where its flowers support pollinators, its foliage provides cover for aquatic life, and its seeds are eaten by ducks and other waterfowl. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental pond plant.