Sagittaria latifolia

Broadleaf Arrowhead Growing & Care Guide

Broadleaf Arrowhead, also known as Duck Potato, is an exceptionally hardy, attractive vertical marginal plant native to North American wetlands. It is famed for its large, arrowhead-shaped green leaves and delicate three-petaled white flowers. Producing edible underground tubers prized by wildlife, it serves as a premier bio-filtering and soil-stabilizing species for pond edges and bog gardens.

Lighting Full Sun to Partial Shade

Water Parameter Wet soil to Shallow Water

Substrate Muddy silt / organic sand

Water Temp 15°C - 30°C

Toxicity Pet Friendly (Non-toxic)

Botanical macro photography of Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) - Plant AI care database

How to Identify Broadleaf Arrowhead

Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) has key botanical markers. Recognizing these features is crucial for successful aquascaping and thriving growth.

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Visual Shape & Growth: Upright vertical clumps of striking arrowhead-shaped green leaves, with whorls of three-petaled white flowers.
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Leaf Morphology: Broad, glossy green leaves shaped exactly like classic arrowheads (up to 8-12 inches long) with prominent veins.
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Root & Anchoring Structure: Fibrous roots spreading from a central crown, producing runners that terminate in rounded starch-rich tubers.

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Complete Cultivation & Spawning Guide

Follow our detailed scientific water parameters and care guides to keep your Broadleaf Arrowhead thriving.

pH: 6.0 - 7.8. Highly adaptable to various water parameters, absorbing heavy metals and excess pond nitrates.

Low. Grows emersed in the air, absorbing all its carbon dioxide needs directly from the atmosphere.

Full sun to partial shade. Prefers full sun for robust flowering and dense leaf clumps, but handles partial shade well.

Cut back yellowing leaves at the base of the stem. Remove spent flower stalks to prevent excessive seed self-sowing.

Extremely robust. In garden ponds, insert standard aquatic root tabs into the soil container in spring.

Thrives in muddy silt, wet sand, or clay. Plant the central crown vertically, keeping the top base of the crown at soil level.

Extremely cold hardy. Optimal temperature is 15°C to 30°C (59°F - 86°F). Tubers survive deep winter freezes in wet mud.

Tolerates slow to moderate water currents. Excellent for shoreline stabilization against minor wave erosion.

Provides excellent shallow shelter for fish fry and tadpoles. Tubers are heavily grazed by ducks and pond wildlife.

Elite nutrient consumer, starving pond algae of excess nitrates and phosphates. Shades shallow waters.

Plant in shallow water (0 to 6 inches deep). Space individual crowns 12 to 15 inches apart.

Common Diseases & Treatment

Leaf Rust

Symptoms: Small, powdery orange-brown pustules develop on the leaves, causing premature yellowing and leaf drop.

Action: Improve air spacing between plants, maximize sunlight exposure, and cut off heavily rusted leaves.

Tuber Rot

Symptoms: The rounded edible tubers turn soft, gray-brown, and decay in stagnant, highly compacted anaerobic mud.

Action: Caused by stagnant, poorly oxygenated mud. Grow in loose sand-soil mixes with moderate water movement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Duck Potato?

The plant produces round, starchy underground tubers that resemble small potatoes, which are a major, highly sought-after food source for ducks and geese.

Can it grow inside a standard home aquarium?

Only as a juvenile. Its massive emersed arrowhead leaves will quickly grow out of the top of the tank, requiring open-top setups with high-intensity light.

Is Broadleaf Arrowhead invasive?

In small garden ponds, it can spread rapidly via creeping runners. Plant it in plastic containers to restrict root spreading.

Are the tubers edible for humans?

Yes! When cooked, the roasted tubers taste similar to potatoes and sweet chestnuts, and were a historic food source for Native Americans.