Sagittaria latifolia
Duck Potato, Broadleaf Arrowhead
Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Sagittaria latifolia.
General Information
Plant Properties
Growth conditions
Wet
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Full sun
Usage properties
Root
None
Description
The root can be eaten both raw and cooked. When roasted, it takes on a texture similar to that of potatoes and a flavor reminiscent of chestnuts. The tubers are edible when raw, but the skin can be quite bitter. It is best to peel the skin after the tubers have been cooked. Additionally, the tubers can be dried and ground into a powder, which can be used as porridge or mixed with grain flour to make bread. Native Americans in North America sliced the cooked roots into thin pieces and dried them in the same way as apples, by threading them onto strings. The egg-shaped tubers are 4-5 cm long and grow at the end of slender roots, usually about 30 cm deep in the ground and a short distance from the parent plant. The tubers are best harvested in late summer when the leaves are dying back.