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Alisma plantago-aquatica
Also called Common Water-plantain, Water-plantain, American Waterplantain, Mad Dog Weed, Mud Plantain, Water Alisma
A hairless perennial aquatic plant with white or pale purple flowers, growing in shallow water and mud across Europe and Asia. It thrives with its roots in wet soil or shallow water.
Alisma plantago-aquatica, also known as European water-plantain, common water-plantain or mad-dog weed, is a perennial flowering aquatic plant widespread across most of Europe and Asia, and apparently spread elsewhere in both the Old and New World.
The species is widespread across most of Europe and Asia from Portugal and Morocco to Japan, Kamchatka and Vietnam. It is also regarded as native in northern and central Africa as far south as Tanzania, and in Australia. It is reportedly naturalized in southern Africa, New Zealand, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington state and Connecticut. Some sources maintain that the species is widespread across North America, but these reports appear to have been based on misidentified specimens. It is found on mud or in fresh waters.
The rootstocks contain starch and can be boiled or soaked to remove bitterness before eating. Aquatic plants in general should be cooked before consumption to kill parasites.
Channelled Water Plantain · Narrowleaf water plantain · Lanceleaf water plantain · Alisma nanum · Asian Water Plantain · American water plantain · Northern water plantain · Baltic Water Plantain · Water plantain
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Alisma plantago-aquatica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
