rarely consume the tubers, which are usually buried too deep for them to reach, although they often eat the seeds. Beavers, North American Porcupines, and muskrats eat the whole plant, tubers included. Native Americans are alleged to have opened muskrat houses to obtain their collection of roots. This plant is vulnerable to aphids and spider mites. Cultivation This plant is easily cultivated in of water with no or little current. The tubers are planted well spaced (no more than 12 plants per square meter) at the end of May at a depth of . Fertilize with decomposed manure. They can be multiplied through seeding or division in July. The starchy tubers, produced by rhizomes beneath the wet ground surface, have long been an important food source to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, along with those of S. cuneata. The tubers can be detached from the ground in various ways: with the feet, a pitchfork, or a stick, and after digging up, the tubers usually float to the surface. Ripe tubers can be collected in the autumn, and are also often found then floating freely. Uses The starchy tubers were consumed by Native Americans in the lower Columbia River basin, in addition to the Omaha and Cherokee nations. The tubers can be eaten raw or cooked for 15 to 20 minutes. The taste is similar to potatoes and chestnuts, and they can be prepared in the same fashions: roasting, frying, boiling, and so on. They can also be sliced and dried to prepare a flour. Other edible parts include late summer buds and fruits. Culture The name of Shubenacadie, a community located in central Nova Scotia, Canada, means "abounding in ground nuts" (i.e., broadleaf arrowhead) in the Mi'kmaq language. References Further reading External links Coeur d'Alene Tribe’s annual Water Potato Days Festival video Water Potato Day , Coeur d'Alene Tribe latifolia Flora of the United States Flora of Canada Flora of Europe Flora of Hawaii Flora of Puerto Rico Flora of Mexico Flora of Cuba Flora of Central America Flora of Colombia Flora of Ecuador Flora of Venezuela Flora of Campeche Flora of Nayarit Flora of Tabasco Flora of Tamaulipas Flora of Puebla Flora of Jalisco Flora of Durango Flora of Tlaxcala Flora of Veracruz Flora of Michoacán Flora of Bhutan Flora without expected TNC conservation status Freshwater plants Plants described in 1805 Root vegetables