Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Tubers were eaten by Native Americans
Plant Profile: Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media
Names
Bulltongue Arrowhead, Duck Potato, Lance-leaved Arrowhead
Phonetic Spelling:saj-ee-TAR-ee-uh lan-sih-FOH-lee-uh MEED-ee-uh
Genus:Sagittaria
Species:lancifolia
Family:Alismataceae
Lance-leaved Arrowood is a native perennial that thrives in marshes and swamps, primarily along the coastal regions from Virginia to Florida and extending westward to Texas. This plant flourishes in both freshwater and brackish tidal marshes, with its roots consisting of rhizomes that require submersion in water.
Characterized by its elongated, lance-shaped leaves and unique three-petaled flowers, this species is a popular choice for water gardens. It is essential to ensure that it remains consistently moist and is not allowed to dry out.
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Feature Summary
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Image Gallery
Tags
#water garden
#stream banks
#swamps
#ponds
#marshes
#food source summer
#food source fall
#Coastal OBL
#food source herbage
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#Piedmont Mountains OBL
#food source tubers
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#audubon
Similar Plants
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Feature Summary
Attributes
Tubers were eaten by Native Americans
AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TX, VA
Deer resistant. Waterfowl eat the tubers
Rhizomes are edible
Perennial
Seed
Root Cutting
Fruit
The fruit is small oval achenes and winged from August to November.
Achene
Summer
Fall
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Separate male and female flowers. They grow in whorls of 3 in racemes and have 3 green sepals and 3 white petals, 1/4-1/2 inch long. The pistils on female flowers are flattened and form a tight, round green center. Male flowers have 6 yellow stamens.
White
Raceme
Summer
Fall
2-3 rays/petals
Star
< 1 inch
Leaves
Up to 3 feet long green leaves. Apex acuminate, base cuneate, venation parallel, glabrous
Deciduous
Green
Lanceolate
Obovate
Entire
> 6 inches
1-3 inches
Stem
Long thick spongy petioles
Whole Plant Traits
Native Plant
Water Plant
Deciduous
Erect
Medium
Low
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)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Coastal
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Water Garden
Mass Planting
Wet Soil
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Image Gallery
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Attributes
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Country Or Region Of Origin
SE USA
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Distribution
AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TX, VA
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Wildlife Value
Deer resistant. Waterfowl eat the tubers
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Edibility
Rhizomes are edible
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Fruit
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Fruit Description
The fruit is small oval achenes and winged from August to November.
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Flowers
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Description
Separate male and female flowers. They grow in whorls of 3 in racemes and have 3 green sepals and 3 white petals, 1/4-1/2 inch long. The pistils on female flowers are flattened and form a tight, round green center. Male flowers have 6 yellow stamens.
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Color
White
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Leaves
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Leaf Description
Up to 3 feet long green leaves. Apex acuminate, base cuneate, venation parallel, glabrous
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Leaf Color
Green
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Stem
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Stem Description
Long thick spongy petioles
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Whole Plant Traits
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Cultural Conditions
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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)
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
11a
11b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media Landscape
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: 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
Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
