pickerelweed

noun

pick·​er·​el·​weed ˈpi-k(ə-)rəl-ˌwēd How to pronounce pickerelweed (audio)
: a shallow-water monocotyledonous perennial plant (Pontederia cordata) chiefly of the eastern U.S. and Canada with large leaves and a spike of purplish-blue flowers

Illustration of pickerelweed

Illustration of pickerelweed

Examples of pickerelweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The rain darkened the way, which heightened colors, like the lavender of pickerelweed blossoms and brilliant yellow of spatterdock flowers. — Kevin Spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, 1 June 2018 Her latest obsession is the pickerelweed, a tall, salt-tolerant edible plant with broad green leaves and lavender flowers that is found throughout the city’s waterways. — Diana Budds, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2022 Reaching 3 feet tall, pickerelweed grows happily — even rambunctiously — in containers or water gardens, so consider trying that. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 1 Oct. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pickerelweed was in 1785

Rhymes for pickerelweed

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Browse Nearby Words

pickerel frog
pickerelweed
pickerelweed family
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Cite this Entry

“Pickerelweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickerelweed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pickerelweed

noun
pick·​er·​el·​weed -ˌwēd How to pronounce pickerelweed (audio)
: a plant mostly of the eastern U.S. and Canada that grows in shallow water and has large arrow-shaped leaves and blue flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on pickerelweed

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pickerelweed

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