Engelmann's Arrowhead
Sagittaria engelmanniana
The edible underground tubers of this genus are called 'duck potatoes' because waterfowl eagerly dig them up from the mud to feast on them.
- Scientific name
- Sagittaria engelmanniana
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Alismatales › Alismataceae › Sagittaria
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Acidic bogs, peaty shores, pine barren ponds, and shallow, nutrient-poor acidic waters.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing water and minerals from acidic, sandy substrates).
- Range
- Eastern United States, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal Plain
- Size
- 20 to 100 cm (8 to 40 inches) in height.
- Lifespan
- Perennial (rhizomes and tubers persist indefinitely across seasons).
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland destruction, water pollution, shoreline development, and invasive wetland plants.
- Safe to approach?
- This plant is entirely harmless. When observing it, remain on designated boardwalks or trails to avoid trampling delicate wetland soils and shoreline vegetation. Do not harvest wild tubers, as they are a vital food source for local wildlife.
Sagittaria engelmanniana ( Engelmann's arrowhead or acid-water arrowhead ) is an aquatic plant species native to eastern North America. It has been reported from every state bordering on the Gulf of Mexico or on the Atlantic Ocean from Mississippi to Massachusetts, plus Vermont and Ontario.
Photo: Melissa McMasters, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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