Arrow Arum
Peltandra virginica
Arrow arum has thick, arrowhead-shaped leaves with prominent veins down the middle and along the edge. Above, arrow arum grows in Kingman Marsh on the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2019. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
After blooming, arrow arum flower spikes mature into dark, drooping pods full of large, green seeds.. Above, staff and volunteers from the Anacostia Watershed Society harvest seeds from the wetland plant arrow arum on the Anacostia River in Bladensburg, Md., on Sept. 22, 2018. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Naturalist Emily Cope demonstrates how the seeds of the wetland plant arrow arum use stickiness to adhere to submerged soils in order to germinate at Patuxent River Park in Prince George's County, Md., on Nov. 24, 2017. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Arrow arum is a native perennial plant with large, arrowhead-shaped leaves. It grows in shallow, tidal fresh waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
Appearance
Arrow arum has long, thick, arrowhead-shaped leaves with prominent veins down the middle and along the edge. The leaves can be up to 18 inches in length and nearly 6 inches wide. Leaves grow from the top of stalks, which grow from a thick rootstock that is embedded in the mud. A white flower spike contained in a green sheath blooms in May to July. Arrow arum grows to 3 feet tall.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
After blooming, flower spikes mature into dark, drooping pods full of large, green seeds. The pods eventually split open and release their seeds.
Did You Know?
- Arrow arum gets its name from its arrowhead-shaped leaves. It is also known as tuckahoe or duck corn.
- It can be confused with pickerelweed, which it often grows near. You can distinguish arrow arum by its arrowhead-shaped leaves and white flowers. Pickerelweed has heart-shaped leaves and blue flowers.
- Rails, muskrats, wood ducks and black ducks all rely on arrow arum for food.
- Some Native American tribes used dried, pulverized arrow arum roots as flour for making bread. The plant’s fruits were sometimes cooked and eaten like peas.
Sources and Additional Information
- Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
- PLANTS Profile for Peltandra virginica – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Peltandra virginica – The University of Texas at Austin
- PlantFiles: Arrow-arum – Dave’s Garden
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
3 feet tall
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Habitat
Grows in shallow and slow-moving fresh waters, including marshes and swamps, on tidal flats, and along the edges of rivers and streams. Forms large, dense colonies.
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Range
Throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, including Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
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Status
Stable
