BROADLEAF
ARROWHEAD
Sagittaria latifolia Willd.
plant symbol = SALA2
Contributed By: USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data
Center
Alternate Names
Arrowhead, Indian potato, tule potato, wapato
Uses
Ethnobotanic: Sagittaria is an aquatic plant with
tuberous roots that can be eaten like potatoes. Lewis
and Clark found it at the mouth of the Willamette and
considered it equal to the potato, and valuable for
trade. Indian women collected it in shallow water
from a canoe, or waded into ponds or marshes in the
late summer and loosened the roots with their toes.
The roots would rise to the top of the water where
they were gathered and tossed into floating baskets.
Today, the tubers are harvested with a hoe, pitchfork,
or rake. Tubers are baked in fire embers, boiled, or
roasted in the ashes. Tubers are skinned and eaten
whole or mashed.
After roasting, some tubers were dried and stored for
winter use. The Chippewa gathered the "Indian
potatoes" in the fall, strung them, and hung them
overhead in the wigwam to dry. Later they were
boiled for use.
The tubers of Sagittaria species were eaten by many
different indigenous groups in Canada, as well as
many groups of Washington and Oregon (Kuhnlein
and Turner 1991). The tubers were also widely traded
from harvesting centers to neighboring areas. The
tubers were also a major item of commerce on the
Lower Columbia in Chinook Territory. Katzie
families owned large patches of the plant and
clearing the patches claimed ownership. Family
groups would camp beside their claimed harvesting
sites for a month or more.
A species of Sagittaria grows in China, and is sold in
the markets of China and Japan as food, the corms
being full of starch. Sagittaria latifolia is extensively
cultivated in the San Francisco Bay area in California
to supply the Chinese markets, and the tubers are
commonly to be found on sale. The Chinese, on
coming to California, used it for food and may have
cultivated it somewhat. In so doing, they are
believed to have extended its range into the southern
part of the state (Mason 1957).
Medicinally, the Maidu of California used an
infusion of arrowhead roots to clean and treat
wounds. The Navajo use these plants for headaches.
The Ojibwa and the Chippewa used Sagittaria
species as a remedy for indigestion. The Cherokee
used an infusion of leaves to bathe feverish babies,
with one sip given orally. The Iroquois used it for
rheumatism, a dermatological aid, and a laxative.
The Iroquois used it as a ceremonial blessing when
they began planting corn.
Wildlife: Tubers are planted as an wildlife food.
Ducks eat the small, flat seeds of arrowheads, but the
tubers are the most valuable to wildlife. Muskrat and
porcupine are known to eat the tubers. Swans, geese,
wood ducks, blue-winged teal, lesser and greater
scaup, ruddy duck, ring necked duck, pintail, mallard,
mottled duck, gadwall, canvasback, black duck and
king rail are known to eat arrowhead seeds and
tubers. For wildlife use, the tubers of Sagittaria
latifolia are often too large and too deeply buried to
be useful to ducks (Martin 1951).
Alfred Brousseau
Brother Eric Vogel, St. Mary’s College
@ CalPhotos
Muskrats have evolved with wetland ecosystems and
form a valuable component of healthy functioning
wetland communities. Muskrats use emergent
wetland vegetation such as Sagittaria species for
food. Muskrat grazed areas increase wetland
diversity by opening up the dense stands of Typha
and Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) species, and providing
opportunities for aquatic vegetation such as
Sagittaria to become established in the open water.
Muskrat huts provide a substrate for shrubs and other
plant species. Indian people often sought caches of
Sagittaria tubers stored by muskrat and beaver.
Status
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State
Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s
current status, such as, state noxious status and
wetland indicator values.
Description
General: Arrowhead Family (Alismataceae). Both
Sagittaria latifolia and Sagittaria cuneata are aquatic
plants growing in swampy ground or standing water
in ponds, lakes, stream edges, and ditches (Hickman
1993). Both species have white or bluish tubers,
which are edible. The leaves are sagittate, with leaf
blades are either erect or floating on the surface of
the water. S. cuneata leaf blades are smaller, from 5-
15 cm, and the lower lobes of emergent leaf blades
are less than the terminal lobe. In S. latifolia, leaf
blades are from 6-30 cm, and the lower lobes of the
emergent leaf blade are approximately equal to the
terminal lobe. The inflorescence is simple or
branching, often with the lower flowers pistillate and
the upper ones staminate. The flowers are white,
with three white petals and 3 sepals. Stamens are
numerous and bright yellow. The pistils are
numerous, spirally arranged on the receptacle. The
fruit is an achene and is greenish colored. A
diagnostic feature distinguishing the two species is
the beak on the fruit of S. cuneata is ascending to
erect and <0.5 mm; the beak on the fruit of S. latifolia
is spreading and 1-2 mm.
Distribution
For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web
site. Sagittaria species are obligate wetland plants
found in marshes and wetlands throughout temperate
North America. The ranges of S. cuneata and S.
latifolia overlap. S. latifolia is found from central
and southern British Columbia to Nova Scotia and
Prince Edward Island, south to California and into
South America. In California, S. latifolia is confined
to lower elevations <1500 m. Sagittaria species
grow in ponds, slow streams, ditches and freshwater
wetlands.
Establishment
Sagittaria species may be planted from bare root
stock, by transplanting the tubers, and by seeding
directly into wetland soil. Live plant transplants or
transplanting tubers are preferred revegetation
methods where there is moving water. It takes two
years for seed to germinate; planting bare root stock
or tubers gives faster revegetation results.
Live Plant Collections: No more than 1/4 of the
plants in an area should be collected. If no more than
0.09 m² (1 ft²)
are removed from a 0.4 m
2
(4 ft
2
)
area, the plants will grow back into the
hole in one
good growing season. A depth of 15 cm (6 in) is
sufficiently deep for digging plugs. This will leave
enough plants and rhizomes to grow back during the
growing season.
Wild plants should be collected after the leaves begin
to emerge in the spring until the first frost. The
plants can be pulled up easily from wet soil. When
collecting wild plants, rinse roots gently. Leaves and
stems can be clipped from 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10
inches); this allows the plant to allocate more energy
into root production. The roots should always remain
moist or in water until planted. Plants should be
transported and stored in a cool location prior to
planting. Water depth should be 0 to 6" and the soils
should be wet.
Sagittaria grows prolifically around ponds or
wetlands in shallow water. Plug spacing of 25-30 cm
will fill in within one growing season. Soil should be
kept saturated, with approximately 1/2" of water over
the surface of the soil after planting. If water is low
in nutrients (oligotrophic), fertilization will speed
biomass production and revegetation. Many surface
waters are already rich in nutrients (eutrophic), and
fertilization is not necessary.
Indian potatoes transplant success may be greater
with the tubers than with bare root stock. The little
underground potatoes can be separated from the
parent plants with a rake, hoe, or shovel. In
unconsolidated soils, the tubers can be pulled up by
hand by searching around the roots of the plant.
After collecting, the Sagittaria potatoes should be
kept moist and cool, and stored in peat moss.
Potatoes are then planted in shallow water, in the
same conditions as described above for the whole
plants. Potatoes should be collected and planted
when plants are dormant, in the fall, winter and early
spring.
Seed Germination: Seeds of Sagittaria species take
two years to germinate, because they have a double
dormancy requiring cold then warm then cold
temperatures. Temperature has a multiple role in the
regulation of timing of germination. Dormant seeds
become non-dormant only at specific temperatures,
non-dormant seeds have specific temperature
requirements for germination, and non-dormant seeds
of some species are induced into dormancy by certain
temperatures. Once Sagittaria seeds germinate, they
have fairly high viability. Procedures for growing
Sagittaria seeds in the greenhouse have not been
developed at this time.
Sagittaria seeds can be planted directly in wetlands
or ponds. Prepare the area by creating a washboard
in shallow water, at mudflat consistency. Seeds
should then be scattered on the surface of the soil, as
the seeds need sunlight to germinate well. Light and
temperature in natural conditions will promote seed
germination, and in two years Sagittaria plants will
emerge.
Management
Hydrology is the most important factor in
determining wetland type, revegetation success, and
wetland function and value. Changes in water levels
influence species composition, structure, and
distribution of plant communities. Water
management is absolutely critical during plant
establishment, and remains crucial through the life of
the wetland for proper community management.
Sagittaria species require moist soils to standing
water for successful revegetation.
We have no record of specific traditional resource
management techniques other than anecdotal
information of the use of fire to keep dense tule
marshes open, which provided an opportunity for
colonization and spread of Sagittaria species. The
harvest of arrowhead was usually made in late
summer as the stems and leaves were dying (and
usually when the water table was lower) (Balls 1962).
Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and
area of origin)
Please check the Vendor Database, expected to be
on-line through the PLANTS Web site in 2001 by
clicking on Plant Materials. Available from native
plant nurseries specializing in aquatic plants
References
Angier, B. 1974. Field guide to edible wild plants.
Stackpole Books. 255 pp.
Barrett, S.A. & E.W. Gifford 1933. Miwok caterial
culture Indian life of the Yosemite region. Yosemite
Association. Yosemite National Parks, California.
388 pp.
Clarke, C.B. 1977. Edible and useful plants of
California. University of California Press. 280 pp.
Densmore, F. 1974. How Indians use wild plants for
food, medicine and crafts. Dover Publications, Inc.,
New York, New York. 397 pp.
Fowler, C.S. 1992. In the shadow of Fox Peak. An
ethnography of the cattail-eater Northern Paiute
people of Stillwater Marsh. Cultural Resource Series
#5. USDI, FWS, Stillwater National Wildlife
Refuge. 264 pp.
Gilmore, M.R. 1977. Uses of plants by the Indians of
the Missouri River region. University of Nebraska
Press, Lincoln and London. 125 pp.
Goodrich, J., C. Lawson, & V.P. Lawson 1980.
Kashaya Pomo plants. Heyday Books, Berkeley,
California. 171 pp.
Harrington, H.D. 1972. Western edible wild plants.
The University of New Mexico Press. 156 pp.
Hedrick, U.P. 1972. Sturtevant's edible plants of the
world. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, New
York. 686 pp.
Hickman, James C. (ed.) 1993. The Jepson manual.
Higher plants of California. University of California
Press. 1400 pp.
Hoag, J.C. & M.E. Sellers 1995. Use of greenhouse
propagated wetland plants versus live transplants to
vegetate constructed or created wetlands.
Interagency Riparian/Wetland Plant Development
Project, USDA, NRCS, Plant Materials Center,
Aberdeen, Idaho.
Hoag, J.C. & M.E. Sellers 1994. Seed and live
transplant collection procedures for 7 wetland plant
species. Interagency Riparian/Wetland Plant
Development Project, USDA, NRCS, Plant Materials
Center, Aberdeen, Idaho.
Kuhnlein, H.V. & N.J. Turner 1991. Traditional
plant foods of Canadian indigenous p eoples.
Nutrition, botany and use. Gordon and Breach
Science Publishers. 633 pp.
Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, & A.L. Nelson 1951.
American wildlife and plants: A guide to wildlife
food habits. Dover Publications, Inc. New York.
500 pp.
Mason, H.L. 1957. A flora of the marshes of
California. University of California Press. 878 pp.
Mayer, K.E. & W.F. Laudenslayer Jr., eds. 1988. A
guide to wildlife habitats of California. USDA
Forest Service, California Department of Fish and
Game, PG&E.
Moerman, D.E. 1986. Medicinal plants of native
America. University of Michigan Museum of
Anthropology. Technical Reports, Number 19. 534
pp.
Peterson, L.A. 1977. A field guide to edible wild
plant. Eastern and Central North America. Houghton
Mifflin Company. 330 pp.
Strike, S.S. 1994. Ethnobotany of the California
Indians. Volume 2. Aboriginal Uses of California's
Indigenous Plants. Koeltz Scientific Books
USA/Germany. 210 pp.
USDA, NRCS 1999. The PLANTS database.
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
<http://plants.usda.gov>. Version: 05apr1999.
Prepared By
Michelle Stevens
Formerly USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center
Species Coordinator
M. Kat Anderson
USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center
c/o Environmental Horticulture Department,
University of California, Davis, California
Edited: 05dec00 jsp
For more information about this and other plants, please contact
your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the
PLANTS <http://plants.usda.gov> and Plant Materials Program
Web sites <http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all
its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin,
gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and
marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication
of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA
is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
