Arrowroot is becoming well known as a gluten-free alternative to corn starch and flour. What isn’t advertised on the nutritional label, though, is the rich history of arrowroot powder and the plant it comes from. It was cultivated in Latin America as early as 8200 BCE, thousands of years before gluten was even identified. Back then, this plant was well known for extracting poison from arrow wounds, hence the name arrowroot plant.
The common name ‘Arrowroot’ is actually applied to multiple plants, mostly those whose roots can be made into arrow starch or flour. The more commonly known ones are Canna indica, which is grown for its elegant flowers, and Zamia pumila, known as Florida arrowroot. In this article, we’ll focus on the arrowroot plant that’s primarily used for commercial arrowroot flour and starch: Maranta arundinacea.
M. arundinacea is a large, tropical plant that grows in water margins. Its lively green foliage is as much at home near a backyard pond as it is in a rainforest. You’ll find that it’s very easy to grow in warm climates (and even easier to propagate). So if your water feature – or a soggy part of the yard – could use some sprucing up, consider the arrowroot plant!
Arrowroot is an attractive tropical plant valued for its edible tubers With its vibrant foliage, it also makes an easy-to-grow houseplant. Arrowroot can be grown successfully in pots both indoors and outdoors Here’s a complete guide to caring for container-grown arrowroot plants and keeping them healthy.
Choosing the Right Pot for Arrowroot
To start, select a container that gives arrowroot ample room for root growth A general rule of thumb is to use a pot with a diameter 2 inches wider than the tuber An 8-10 inch tuber would do well in a 10-12 inch pot.
Deeper pots work better than shallow pans. Arrowroot has a vigorous root system and prefers at least 12 inches of soil depth. Make sure the pot has drainage holes to prevent soggy soil.
A quality potting mix formulated for edibles or houseplants will provide the aeration and nutrients arrowroot needs. Adding perlite improves drainage.
Terra cotta, plastic, ceramic, and wood containers all work for arrowroot. Just be sure to choose a pot that’s large enough to accommodate growth but not overly huge.
Where to Place Potted Arrowroot Plants
Arrowroot thrives in bright, indirect light. When grown as a houseplant, place arrowroot less than 6 feet from a sunny window. An east or west-facing location is ideal.
Avoid direct southern exposure, which can scorch leaves. If keeping your arrowroot plant outdoors, situate pots in partial or dappled shade. Shelter from hot afternoon sun.
Indoors, average room temperatures between 65-80°F are suitable. Outdoors, arrowroot can tolerate a wider temperature range but may drop leaves below 50°F or above 90°F. Bring potted plants indoors if colder weather is expected.
Grouping arrowroot with other tropical plants creates an attractive indoor display. The lush foliage also looks great alongside houseplant varieties like ferns, peace lilies, and palms.
Watering Needs for Potted Arrowroot
Arrowroot requires consistently moist soil to flourish in containers. Water whenever the top few inches become dry. Adding water until it drains from the bottom prevents buildup of minerals and salts.
To maintain even moisture longer, top off pots with an organic mulch like shredded leaves or bark bits. Avoid letting arrowroot sit in standing water, which can cause tuber rot.
Indoor arrowroot may need watering twice a week whereas outdoor plants need daily watering in hot weather. Adjust frequency based on your environment. Leaving plants unattended for long periods can quickly lead to drought stress.
Fertilizing Arrowroot for Optimal Growth
Arrowroot is not too heavy of a feeder when grown in rich potting soil. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every 2-3 weeks during the growing season.
Organic options like fish emulsion or compost tea provide nutrients without risk of burn. Stop fertilizing in fall so tubers can harden off properly.
If leaves yellow or growth stalls, increase feeding frequency. But excess fertilizer can accumulate to toxic levels in containers. Only apply what plants can use.
Repotting Arrowroot as Needed
Arrowroot’s tuberous roots rapidly expand, eventually becoming rootbound in pots. Repot into a larger container whenever plants double in size.
This is usually needed every 2-3 years. Carefully remove the entire plant and loosen compacted roots before repotting. Prune off any diseased or shrivelled tubers.
Dividing overcrowded clumps of multiple tubers can stimulate growth. But don’t divide arrowroot more than once every few years. Frequent dividing stresses plants.
Arrowroot Plant Care Through the Seasons
Caring for container arrowroot changes slightly depending on the season:
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Spring: resume fertilizing and increase watering as plant grows. Move outdoors once overnight frost has passed.
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Summer: water frequently and provide shade from hot sun. Soak pots thoroughly if going on vacation.
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Fall: allow soil to dry out more between waterings. Slow feeding and stop completely by early fall. Bring plants indoors before first frost.
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Winter: water sparingly, just enough to prevent shrivelling. Arrowroot goes dormant until spring.
Adjusting practices to match each season’s conditions keeps arrowroot happy in pots year-round.
What to Expect When Growing Arrowroot
Here’s an overview of arrowroot’s growth pattern in containers:
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Re-sprouts from tubers in early spring and quickly expands leaves.
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Produces attractive foliage and sometimes white flower bracts by mid-summer.
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Tubers enlarge underground throughout the growing season.
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Dies back to the soil by late fall as tubers go dormant for winter.
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Goes fully dormant in winter but tubers remain alive to re-sprout in spring.
This cycle repeats each year. With its large leaves and architectural shape, arrowroot makes a fabulous foliage plant for indoor spaces or patios.
Is Arrowroot a Good Houseplant?
Arrowroot has many qualities that make it an excellent houseplant:
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Thrives in average indoor environments and tolerates some neglect.
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Adds bold, tropical flair with its dramatic leaves.
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Filters air pollutants and helps increase indoor humidity.
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Provides edible tubers as a bonus.
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Roots grow slowly enough to maintain in pots for years.
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Goes dormant in winter so requires less care for months.
For both aesthetic appeal and usefulness, arrowroot is a houseplant worth trying if you love tropical plants.
Troubleshooting Common Arrowroot Problems
Arrowroot is quite hardy when grown in containers but may encounter a few issues:
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Slow growth: This can be caused by insufficient light, water or nutrients. Try moving plant to a brighter location, increasing watering frequency or applying fertilizer.
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Brown leaf edges: Dry air and inconsistent watering commonly cause these crispy margins. Increase humidity and improve watering habits.
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Yellowing leaves: Usually a sign of overwatering root rot or lack of nutrients. Allow soil to dry between waterings and supplement with fertilizer.
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Leggy growth: When arrowroot stretches upwards and becomes lanky, it’s not getting enough sun. Move to a brighter spot.
Catching problems early and adjusting care prevents major damage. Arrowroot will thrive when given what it needs in a container.
Harvesting Arrowroot Tubers from Pots
Arrowroot tubers can be dug up and harvested once plants die back in late fall. Use a shovel or gardening fork to gently lift plants and pick off individual tubers.
Select tubers that are firm, plump and unblemished to replant or consume. Any leftover plant debris can be composted to reuse the potting mix.
For a continuous supply, stagger plantings in successive seasons so not all arrowroot is harvested at once. With ideal potting and care, arrowroot can produce an abundant edible yield on a patio or windowsill.
The Satisfaction of Growing Your Own Arrowroot
Arrowroot is highly adaptable to container culture and simple to grow when given appropriate care. This tropical crop adds beauty indoors and out while also supplying nutritious tubers. With a sunny spot, adequate water and fertile soil, arrowroot can become a staple potted plant that keeps on giving.
All About Arrowroot Plant
Our arrowroot plant is in the Marantaceae family, making it cousins with the popular houseplant M. leuconuera (prayer plant). Since they’re both popular plants, Marantaceae may be referred to as either the arrowroot family or the prayer plant family. M. arundinacea itself was previously called Maranta sylvatica. It also goes by the common names West Indian arrowroot and obedience plant (not to be confused with the sprightly ‘obedient plant’).
As mentioned earlier, arrowroot is native to Latin America, from Mexico to the West Indies to Brazil. True to its tropical habitat, it has smooth, ovate leaves that are at least 6 inches long. It grows in clusters that can reach 5 feet tall and blossoms in the spring and summer with a subtle display of tubular white flowers.
Arrowroot produces rhizomes, which are ground into powder. They’re white or reddish-purple and sprout thick green stems. They’re a good source of potassium and have a nutty, sweet flavor when eaten raw or cooked. The rhizomes are very digestible and sometimes fed to infants.
As an arrowroot rhizome ages, it gets woody, fibrous, and more difficult to eat. In mild winters, the plant goes dormant, and the foliage often dies back. Come spring, the rhizomes will sprout new stems and leaves.
Your everyday arrowroot plant has solid green leaves. If you’re looking for something fancier though, search for a ‘Variegata’ cultivar. Its leaves are painted with chunks of white and light green.
Arrowroot starts and seeds may be found at gardening centers, depending on where you live. You can also search for and order them online. If you’re planting by seed, sow them in sprouting pots or directly in the ground. Soak the seeds first to increase the germination rate.
Plant your starts in the spring. This will give them plenty of time to establish a root system and shoot up before going dormant in the winter. Ideally, arrowroots should be planted in a water margin. It needs a lot of moisture, so placing it somewhere wet will save you a lot of time spent watering. The location you choose should also get partial shade for most of the day.
Arrowroot can grow in containers as long as they’re pruned or divided periodically (these are big plants!). Choose a sturdy container with good drainage holes. While it’s possible to grow arrowroot indoors, this plant does much better outside.
Arrowroot is an agreeable plant. As long as it was planted in the right conditions and the following needs are met, you shouldn’t have any issue growing a plentiful harvest.
Arrowroots are best cultivated in partial shade with direct sunlight limited to a couple of hours a day. However, they’ve been reported to survive in a warm sunny position as well as full shade, albeit with less vigorous growth.
Because it’s native to the tropics, growing arrowroot is easiest in zones 10-12. It thrives in temperatures from 62-93°F during the growing season. This plant may survive temperatures as low as 40°F and even some light frost during the dormant season. Adding some mulch in the fall may help the crop stay warm through the winter months.
Remember that arrowroot grows in water margins, so naturally, it needs plenty of moisture. Keep the soil constantly moist, watering daily if needed. Arrowroot also prefers some humidity, which is easily accomplished if it’s planted next to a pond.
If your arrowroot plant gets hot and dry, its leaves will let you know. Mist the air around them with a spray bottle to up the humidity. Avoid getting large amounts of water on the leaves since it can lead to fungal growth.
In the winter, when your M. arundinacea goes dormant, cut down to weekly watering. Not only does the plant need less water, but too much will make the roots cold. When new growth emerges in the spring, gradually increase watering.
All that water is useless if we don’t have good soil to hold it. Choose a loamy, well-drained soil that will stay moist without becoming muddy. It should drain well enough that large puddles aren’t left on the surface, and excess moisture drains out the bottom of a container.
Use soil that’s rich in nutrients and organic matter. It should also be slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Though all these soil characteristics are important for growing arrowroot, the plant will usually survive in varying soil qualities if needed.
Fertilize your arrow root in the spring for a jump start on healthy growth. Use a diluted, balanced, liquid fertilizer 1-2 times a month for the season (seaweed tonic is a popular choice for this crop). This plant can be overfertilized – especially in the summer – and will show it with leaf discoloration.
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FAQ
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