Full Sun
Very High
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil but can grow in water.5
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in about 5cm of water. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and gradually increase the depth of water as the plants grow until it is about 5cm above the top of the pot. Plant out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Division of the tubers in spring or autumn. Easy. Runners potted up at any time in the growing season.
A pond or bog garden plant, it requires a moist or wet loamy soil in a sunny position. Prefers shallow, still or slowly flowing water up to 12cm deep]. Hardy to at least -20°c. A polymorphic species.
The roots are edible raw or cooked. Similar in texture to potatoes but taste more like chestnuts.6 If eaten raw they taste bitter.6 Dried roots may be ground and mixed with grain flours for bread.6
Harvest in late summer after the leaves have started to die down.6 Do not harvest root by pulling on the tops as the tops will break off.6
These estimates for how long Broad-leaved arrowhead takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
The latin ‘esculenta’ means “edible”.2
Sagittaria comes from the latin ‘sagitta’ which means ‘arrow’ due to the leaf shape.4
The Latin ‘latifolia’ means ‘wide broad leaves’.4
Native Americans boil the roots and slice thinly, then dry them similar to apples.5
Arrow head, Common arrowhead, Duck Potato, Indian Potato, Arrowhead, wapato, tule potato, broad leaf arrowhead, common arrow head,
Sagittaria latifolia Willd., Sagittaria esculenta, Sagittaria latifolia Willd. f. gracilis (Pursh) B.L.Rob., Sagittaria latifolia Willd. f. hastata (Pursh) B.L.Rob., Sagittaria viscosa, Sagittaria latifolia var. obtusa, Sagittaria latifolia var. pubescens
Misspellings: broadleaf arrowhead, broad-leaved arrow-head,