Pickerel Rush & Blue Flag Iris

Your Native Plant Suggestions - Attracting Hummingbirds

Jennifer Anderson.NRCS

I had planned on quickly responding to Dave's comment posted on on my Attracting Hummingbird blog page, as you can see my comments morphed into a blog page.

 Dave suggested two plants that I might want to consider growing that hummingbirds dine on: Iris versicolor, Blue Flag Iris and Pontederia cordata, Pickerel Rush. I wanted something worthwhile to say in my responding comment so I decided to do some research and see what these natives had to offer.

 

  Blue Flag - Iris versicolor

The first was Blue Flag Iris (picture to the left). I was somewhat familiar with this native plant, as I had purchased Northern Blue Flag seeds last year. Unfortunately, only two of my plants matured. I planted the hardy survivors in a sunny wet spot, where they did quite well. It is not uncommon for wildflowers not to flower during their first season, their time and energy is well spent developing a significant root system.


Most observers would assume that the 2 ft thick blades of grass were weeds that I had overlooked. In reality, they were beauties waiting patiently for their time to shine.

  I Did Not Realize

 

1. That Blue Flag Iris is the provincial flower of Quebec 
2. The rhizomes are poisonous to humans and live stock
3. Divide after is flowers. This is important for me to know, I would have divided them in the spring
4. The The Missouri Botanical Gardens site has a very nice page on cultivation information.
5. That they attract hummingbirds. Sure enough Houston Audubon Site mentions mentions it.

 Pickerel Rush - Pontederia cordata

Dave's second suggestion, the Pickerel Rush (below picture) was referred to in several instances as Pickerel Weed. I prefer the name Pickerel Rush, why add "weeds" into our gardens if we don't need to. This native plant is happiest with wet feet, blooming best in full sun; that sure sounds like a nice way to live.  Once again, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Huston Audubon both have informative web pages on the Pickerel plant.

Robert H. Mohlenbrock - NRCS.

Calories

 

In addition to attracting hummingbirds, Pickerel Rush has some interesting qualities/calories you may want to consider. Evidently, you can eat the fruit and the very young leaves. Don't hold me to this I am not an expert on green plants, other than the lettuce I am growing in my cold frames.


The Missouri Botanical site goes on to say you can add the fruit into your granola. I can just imagine how my kids would have expressed themselves with this one when they were young. "Hurry up the bus is coming, quick eat your oatmeal and Pickerel Weed". Once when they were little I tried to sneak blended up green peppers in their pancakes, fifteen year later and I still hear about it.


On the other hand I found a 1960 printing of Joseph Meyer's book The Herbalist, at a garage sale. I might just start studying it.