Broad-leaved Arrowhead is a plant primarily found in marshes, swamps bogs, and farm ponds. This plant produces starchy tubers that were used extensively by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It can become weedy.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 8 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 8 in.
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
24 to 32 in. lanceolate to arrow shaped leaves
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Radial; Saucer
Flower detail
Three petaled white flower with yellow centers produced in whorls of 3 from June to October.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit detail
Fruit displays from August to November.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southern Canada, most of the contiguous US and Mexico
Distribution
AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , HI , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE
Wildlife value
Underground tubers are preferred by at least fifteen species of ducks and by snapping turtles.