Last year, I revisited a friend’s ranch just outside Caldwell, Texas, for a refresher on macro photography of bees and odonates in flight. After an early morning session photographing bees, I found myself gravitating toward other treats on his property. There were plenty of wildflower fields around and even a small pond.
I walked around looking for new subjects to photograph. Near the pond, I saw many reeds and pickerelweed — and discovered a world of opportunities. Here are four images from that morning session that came up totally unexpectedly.
So… is pickerelweed actually a weed?
Short answer: no. Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) is a native, emergent aquatic perennial found from Nova Scotia south through Florida and across to Texas. The “weed” in the name has nothing to do with being a nuisance — it simply points to the shallow-water habitat it shares with the pickerel fish.
A few things worth knowing the next time you spot it crowding a pond margin:
- It blooms from late spring well into fall, so its tall purple spikes feed bees, butterflies, and other pollinators for months on end.
- Its tangled underwater roots hold the shoreline together, slow down erosion, and give little fish and tadpoles a safe place to hide.
- It’s even edible: the young leaves are nice in a salad, the tender shoots can be cooked like greens, and the small seeds can be eaten fresh or dried.
So when you see those purple spikes crowding the water’s edge, you’re not looking at a nuisance. You’re looking at a hardworking Texas native pulling triple duty: pollinator café, fish nursery, and erosion crew.
The flowers were the headline that morning. There were also other bonuses along with these flowers. Above you have a small Worthy Longhorn (Florilegus condignus) bee hovering in mid-flight before enjoying a snack on a tall pickerelweed flower spike.
And here you have a sleepy American Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea) clinging to a slender blade of reed. These frogs are sometimes also listed as Dryophytes cinereus under the 2016 reclassification.
These last two examples are small rewards for slowing down and looking closer when Pickerelweed is present.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring American Green Tree Frog, Bee, FlowerHour, Landscapes, Macros, One Step, Pickerelweed, Texas, Wildflowers, Wildlife, and Worthy Longhorn. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour # 28: Flowers in Water.
Posted for Pepper’s One Step at a Time # 7.
Sources:
- “Pontederia cordata” — Native Plant Society of Texas (npsot.org).
- “Pontederia cordata (Pickerelweed)” — Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Native Plants of North America (wildflower.org).
- “Pontederia cordata” — Missouri Botanical Garden, Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org).
- “Pontederia cordata” — Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org).
- “Florilegus condignus — Long-horned bees” — Native Bees of Texas (wildbeestexas.com).
- “Worthy Longhorn (Florilegus condignus)” — iNaturalist (inaturalist.org).
- “Florilegus condignus” — Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org).
- “American Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea / Dryophytes cinereus)” — Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org).
- “Green Treefrog (Dryophytes cinereus) — Species Profile” — U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (nas.er.usgs.gov).
- “Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)” — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov).
Discover more from Through Brazilian Eyes
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Bay Photos By Donna
Lovely pickerelweed photos! We have a creek that has a section loaded with this plant, and I love the purple displays. That is one fab frog foto!!! So cute!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for stopping by, Donna. Once I saw that frog, I was able to follow it a while.
One Step at a Time #8 - Heavens Sunshine
Pingback: […] array of sunshine and reflections.Xenia captured the most adorable lambs ever.Egidio brought some fantastic macro photos.Anita joined in with some beautiful […]
PR
Wonderful shots, Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
PR, many thanks.
Rupali
Such amazing captures, Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Rupali.
Albatz Travel Adventures
Thanks so much for identifying these plants, and your description of their beneficial personalities. There are some growing in a nearby pond and I labelled them Water Hyacinth, which can be a real ‘weed’ and clog up entire lakes. I have been thinking of doing a painting of them and their reflections. Now I wish I could just find a lovely frog like yours to add!
Egidio Leitao
You’re welcome, Elizabeth. A basic difference between the two plants is the heart-shaped leaves in the pickerelweed. As for the frog, plant pickerelweed, and they will come. Thanks for the feedback.
shoestringdiary
Excellent, colorful macros of the Pickerelweed and bee and the Green Tree Frog.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for this compliment.
margaret21
‘Weed’ always sounds vaguely insulting. It’s ‘wild’, that’s all! And that frog portrait is a brilliant capture.
Egidio Leitao
I like your thinking. Wild is definitely a better word. Thanks for the compliment, Margaret.
Steve Schwartzman
Nice going with that climbing frog. As you said: green on green. You also did well in catching the bee in flight.
Your discussion of the “weed” in pickerelweed prompts me to mention that I’ve identified five dozen native plants in our area that have each had “weed” in at least one of their common names. With pickerelweed the name is so misleading, given how pretty the flowers are.
Egidio Leitao
I almost missed it. The way things are named is not always what I’d think to name them. As a friend of mine says, a weed here is just a native somewhere else. I don’t know how accurate that is, but it sounds reasonable. Thanks for writing.
Toonsarah
I’ve never heard of Pickerelweed – your photos of it are really lovely! I also love that cute little frog 🐸
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Sarah. I have several cute shots of that little frog.
boromax
Photos are wonderful and the narration is outstanding. Love the bonus shots of the bee and the frog! ~Ed.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks a million, Ed. Much gratitude!
Anita
Such lovely images, Egidio. The pickerelweed, the hovering bee, the green-on-green frog, all are just perfect. Amazing what appears when you take the time to look closely.
Egidio Leitao
I so much appreciate your feedback. Thank you. I agree there is so much beauty around us. We just need to stop and look closely.
Pepper
Wonderful post, Egidio The photos are amazing,, especially the tree frog.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Pepper. It was a joy to watch it — after I spotted it. It was blending with the greenery around it.
Anne Sandler
Wonderful bee worthy post Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anne.
Terri Webster Schrandt
What a lovely plant, Egidio! I love the colors and its hard-working nature. Your images are remarkable! I enjoy reading your stories behind the shots!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the compliment and the feedback about the stories.