Pickerel Weed is an annual or perennial medicinal herb, long valued for its traditional uses. It's hardy across USDA zones 10 through 12. Its summer flowers are a modest draw for native bees.
Zones
10-12
pH Range
4-7
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
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Score Pickerel Weed on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether pickerel weed actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score pickerel weed against your land's real conditions.
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What Pickerel Weed is
Pickerel Weed grows as an annual or perennial. It blooms in summer.
How to grow Pickerel Weed
Pickerel Weed grows in USDA zones 10 through 12. Pickerel Weed does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4 to 7, on consistently moist ground. It needs a growing season of at least 90 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
10-12
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4 - 7
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
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Drainage
poorly (saturated >50% of year)
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
55.4°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
90+
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Start the season right
Plant pickerel weed in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Pickerel Weed prefers pH 4 to 7 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Harvest at its peak
Harvest the part you grow pickerel weed for — flower, leaf, or root — at its seasonal peak.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — pickerel weed isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Pickerel Weed offers low value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Pickerel Weed thrives
Pickerel Weed is hardy across USDA zones 10 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 10–12·Where Pickerel Weed growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Pickerel Weed can grow in these states:
See if Pickerel Weed will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether pickerel weed actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Pickerel Weed in my zone?
Pickerel Weed grows in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 12 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Pickerel Weed?
Most growers plant pickerel weed after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 90-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Pickerel Weed need?
Pickerel Weed needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Pickerel Weed need?
Pickerel Weed prefers soil pH 4 to 7, on consistently moist ground (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Pickerel Weed attract pollinators?
Yes — pickerel weed's flowers are a modest nectar source for native bees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Pickerel Weed safe for pets?
Pickerel Weed is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.