• Photo of Orontium aquaticum (Orontium aquaticums)

Plant Profile: Orontium aquaticum

Taxonomy: Orontium aquaticum

Names

Bog Torches, Golden Club

  • Photo of Orontium aquaticum (Orontium aquaticums)

Phonetic Spelling:oh-RON-tee-um a-KWA-tih-kum

Genus:Orontium

Species:aquaticum

Family:Araceae

This plant thrives in bogs, shallow waters, and along the edges of slow-moving streams, swamps, and ponds. It typically grows in water depths ranging from 1 to 12 inches, with its leaves floating on the surface. Establishment can be slow, and it propagates through rhizomes. It prefers full sun to partial shade and is best planted in containers ranging from 2 to 5 gallons, often found in water gardens. The plant favors acidic, loamy soil in shallow, flowing water.

It is an emergent aquatic species that flourishes in muck or still freshwater environments, showcasing a distinctive glaucous blue-green leaf color.

Orontium aquaticum Feature Summary

Orontium aquaticum Image Gallery

Tags

#poisonous
#water garden
#perennial
#standing water
#water plant
#spadix
#rhizomes
#native garden
#aquatic plant
#edible garden
#wildflower garden
#food source spring
#Coastal OBL
#Piedmont Mountains OBL
#wet soils tolerant
#food source soft mast fruit
#bog gardens
#audubon

Similar Plants

Orontium aquaticum Feature Summary

Attributes
AL , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MA , MD , MS , NC , NJ , NY , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
EDIBLE PARTS: Roots and seeds HARVEST TIME: Only collect roots and seeds from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Collect roots in spring. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Scrub roots and soak seeds thoroughly with warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. NEVER eat roots raw -- they can be very bitter. Boil for at least 30 minutes, changing the water several times during boiling. Serve with butter or lemon juice. Dry collected seeds in the same manner as you would dried peas or beans. Boil for at least 45 minutes, changing the water often. Serve like peas.
Perennial
Fruit
Berry-like bumpy green fruit. Seeds are edible once thoroughly cooked. Displays in May.
Flowers
Long white and golden yellow club-like spadix, not enclosed by a spathe. The terminal 2-4 in. section is fertile with many small, greenish yellow flowers. Blooms from March to April.
White
Gold/Yellow
Green
Spring
Summer
1-3 inches
Leaves
5-18 in. stalked, elliptical to broadly strap-like dark bluish-green leaves with parallel veins. Leaves have a velvety sheen on the underside making allowing them to shed water. Floats on the surface of water over 12 in. deep.
Green
Gray/Silver
Blue
Elliptical
> 6 inches
Velvety
Poisonous to Humans
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Burning and swelling of lips, tongue, and throat from raw plant parts; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur; contact with cell sap may cause skin irritation.
Calcium oxalate crystals
Seeds
Leaves
Stems
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Bark
Fruits
Roots
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Edible
Native Plant
Poisonous
Wildflower
Water Plant
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Frequent Standing Water
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Landscape
Edible Garden
Water Garden
Container
Woodland
Naturalized Area
Pond
Poisonous to Humans
Contact Dermatitis

Orontium aquaticum Attributes

Orontium aquaticum: Country Or Region Of Origin

USA, NC

Orontium aquaticum: Distribution

AL , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MA , MD , MS , NC , NJ , NY , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV

Orontium aquaticum: Edibility

EDIBLE PARTS: Roots and seeds HARVEST TIME: Only collect roots and seeds from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Collect roots in spring. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Scrub roots and soak seeds thoroughly with warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. NEVER eat roots raw -- they can be very bitter. Boil for at least 30 minutes, changing the water several times during boiling. Serve with butter or lemon juice. Dry collected seeds in the same manner as you would dried peas or beans. Boil for at least 45 minutes, changing the water often. Serve like peas.

Orontium aquaticum: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Orontium aquaticum Fruit

Orontium aquaticum: Fruit Description

Berry-like bumpy green fruit. Seeds are edible once thoroughly cooked. Displays in May.

Orontium aquaticum: Fruit Color

grass
Green

Orontium aquaticum: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Orontium aquaticum: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Orontium aquaticum Flowers

Orontium aquaticum: Flower Description

Long white and golden yellow club-like spadix, not enclosed by a spathe. The terminal 2-4 in. section is fertile with many small, greenish yellow flowers. Blooms from March to April.

Orontium aquaticum: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Green
filter_vintage
White

Orontium aquaticum: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Orontium aquaticum: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Orontium aquaticum: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Orontium aquaticum: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Orontium aquaticum Leaves

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Description

5-18 in. stalked, elliptical to broadly strap-like dark bluish-green leaves with parallel veins. Leaves have a velvety sheen on the underside making allowing them to shed water. Floats on the surface of water over 12 in. deep.

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Orontium aquaticum: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Orontium aquaticum: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Orontium aquaticum Poisonous to Humans

Orontium aquaticum: Poison Symptoms

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Burning and swelling of lips, tongue, and throat from raw plant parts; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur; contact with cell sap may cause skin irritation.

Orontium aquaticum: Poison Toxic Principle

Calcium oxalate crystals

Orontium aquaticum: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Orontium aquaticum: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Orontium aquaticum: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Orontium aquaticum Whole Plant Traits

Orontium aquaticum: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Orontium aquaticum: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Orontium aquaticum: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Orontium aquaticum: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Orontium aquaticum: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Orontium aquaticum Cultural Conditions

Orontium aquaticum: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Orontium aquaticum: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Orontium aquaticum: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Orontium aquaticum: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Orontium aquaticum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Orontium aquaticum Stem

Orontium aquaticum: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Orontium aquaticum Landscape

Orontium aquaticum: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Orontium aquaticum: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Orontium aquaticum: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Orontium aquaticum: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy