What's eating my small-flowered pickerelweed?

Small-flowered Pickerelweed (Pontederia parviflora) shares the pest profile of the Pontederia genus. It is largely trouble-free in a pond or bog setting, but aphids on stems and snails at the waterline are the most likely nuisances. Beneficial insects — bees, dragonflies, and hoverflies — that the plant attracts also suppress pests.

Clustered on young stems and flower stalks; sap feeding causes leaf yellowing and stunted flowering. Dislodge with a firm water jet; encourage beneficial predators such as ladybirds and lacewings at the pond margin.

Ragged holes eaten in emergent leaves and flower stems, particularly on tender new growth at the waterline. Handpick at dusk; iron phosphate bait can be used safely at the pond margin without harming aquatic wildlife.