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Native Plant Society of Texas

Delta Arrowhead

Sagittaria platyphylla

Other common name(s):

Family:

Alismataceae (Water Plantain Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Wetland

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Moist, Mud

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

High

Native Habitat

Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Forage, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Browsers, Birds, Small Mammals, Aquatic Wildlife

Maintenance

Members of the Water-Plantain Family grow in ponds, swamps, on muddy banks, or occasionally in wet sand. It prefers slow moving, shallow water. Spreads easily so give lots of space, or thin as needed for the garden areas. May go dormant in dry conditions, but reappears as wet conditions return. Set up a pond or a water collection tank near a downspout to supplement water. Propagation: seed, tuber, root division.

Comments

Blooms June-November. Each plant has long-stemmed leaves, growing from underground tubers, with a flowering stem rising above them. The flowers have 3 white or pink-tinged petals, clustered in 3-9 whorls up the stem. Male and female flowers are on the same plant, male flowers in the upper whorls, female flowers in the lower whorls. Submerged leaves have flattened petioles but no true blades. Emergent leaves have ovate to elliptical blades with rounded base and pointed tip. Fruiting heads consist of numerous seeds called achenes. The beaks of the seeds give the head a rough texture.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Sagittaria graminea var. platyphylla, Sagittaria mohrii

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Clump Division Plant immediately in the soil. Spreads by runners. Allow the new plant to develop a root system and leaves before separating it from the mother plant with very sharp, sterilized scissors. 1) https://www.npsot.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=15966&action=edit 2) https://en.aqua-fish.net/plants/sagittaria-platyphylla

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason