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Sagittaria latifolia

Wapato, Arrowhead

At a Glance: Tall semi-aquatic perennial of marshes or lake margins, with large arrowhead shaped leaves and small white flowers.

Height: 3 feet (90 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Flowering stem is leafless.
Leaves: All basal; long angled stalks; submerged leaves are lance shaped or linear; emergent leaves are arrowhead shaped; size: to 25 cm long and 20 cm wide; color: green.
Flowers: Sexes often on different flowers, 3 white petals 1-2 cm long and 3 greenish sepals, numerous ovaries and stamens, flowers in 2-8 whorls.
Flowering Period: July, August.
Fruits: Sharp-beaked, flattened, and winged achenes; numerous in ball-like clusters.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: OBL (obligate wetland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Roots (rhizomes and tubers) eaten by ducks and geese. Mammals: The whole plant (especially the roots) eaten by muskrats, beavers and porcupine.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Food Uses: The Chinook baked and ate the tubers. They were a staple food.
Ecological Importance: Forms large stands in slow or still water - commonly used in restoration sites and sometimes in wastewater treatment systems.

Name Info: Wapato means "tuberous plant" in Chinook. Scientific name means "broad leaved arrowhead" for the shape of the leaves.
Interesting Facts: Currently cultivated in China and Japan for food.

Suggested References

Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 183.
Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 70.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 1102.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 559.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 322.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 160.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 337.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.