Herb: Wapato


Latin name: Sagittaria cuneata


Synonyms: Sagittaria arifolia


Family: Alismataceae (Water-plantain Family)



Medicinal use of Wapato:

The plant has been used to treat headaches. The corms have been eaten as a treatment for indigestion.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Calcareous or muddy shores and shallow water.

Edible parts of Wapato:

Root - raw or cooked. Slightly bitter raw, the roasted tubers are sweet-tasting. Those tubers found at the end of the rootstock are the best. When broken off from the roots the tubers rise to the water surface and are then easily gathered.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in about 5cm of water. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and gradually increase the depth of water as the plants grow until it is about 5cm above the top of the pot. Plant out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Division of the tubers in spring or autumn. Easy. Runners potted up at any time in the growing season.

Cultivation of Wapato:

Calcareous or muddy shores and shallow water.

Known hazards of Sagittaria cuneata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.