Pontederia is a genus of five species found growing in the wild on the margins of freshwater streams and ponds in North, Central and South America. The name ‘Pontederia’ derives from Guilio Pontedero who was a student at Padua University in the 17th century. The plant is grown for its striking leaves and beautiful flowers, which are usually blue but can also be white.

Pontederia cordata would seem to have obtained the ‘cordata’ in its name from the heart shape of the bases of its leaves. Pontederia is grown from Nova Scotia in Canada down to Florida as a marginal plant in water features, or as a bog plant. It does not have a central trunk but each leaf appears on its own long stem. The dark green shiny leaves are lance-like then widen out in the middle to form a heart shaped top. In summer and early autumn flower stems produce masses of blue flowers.

Pontederia cordata is extremely frost hardy and grows in 20 – 25cm depth of water. It reaches a height of 1 – 1.5m, and one plant will multiply and spread to a breadth of around 1m. Pontederia cordata ‘alba‘ is the white flowering plant which, apart from the flower colour, is identical to its purple counterpart in all aspects of development.

Propagation is from seed or from splitting established plants in the spring.

In landscaping this plant with its shiny, dark green leaves and lovely long stemmed blue flowers, is a plant of choice for any water feature or bog garden. Pontederia, is cheap and easy to grow, withstands frost and other abnormal conditions and thrives in water up to 25cm in depth.  All of this makes it a guaranteed success when used as a marginal water or bog plant.