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Alisma subcordatum
Also called Southern water-plantain, Small Water Plantain, Waterplaintain, Broad Leaved Water Plantain
Alisma subcordatum is a perennial aquatic or semi-aquatic plant from eastern and central North America that grows from bulb-like corms in mud at the edges of shallow water. Keep its roots wet and give it full sun, and it grows readily.
Alisma subcordatum, the American water plantain, is a perennial aquatic plant in the water-plantain family (Alismataceae). This plant grows to about 3 feet (0.91 meters) in height with lance to oval shaped leaves rising from bulbous corms with fibrous roots. Any leaves that form underwater are weak and quick to rot; they rarely remain on adult plants. A branched inflorescence with white to pink 3-petaled flowers blooms from June to September. The seeds are eaten by waterfowl and upland birds. Native Americans dried and ate the submerged rootlike structures. The species name subcordatum means "almost heart-shaped".
American water plantain is native to most of eastern and central United States and Canada from Texas to Georgia, north to Manitoba and New Brunswick, though it has not been reported from Florida. It grows in the mud of still to slow moving water, seeps, and wetlands.
Channelled Water Plantain · Narrowleaf water plantain · Lanceleaf water plantain · Alisma nanum · Asian Water Plantain · European water plantain · Northern water plantain · Baltic Water Plantain · Water plantain
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Alisma subcordatum 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.
