The same species as the ornamental Canna Lily, Queensland Arrowroot is a cultivar developed by the Inca for its starchy edible rhizomes. Also known as Canna edulis. The rhizomes can be cooked like a potato or can be processed into flour, which was once used as a main ingredient in arrowroot biscuits. The young shoots and leaves can also be cooked as a vegetable, and the whole plant can be used as animal feed.

 

It is a fast growing, clump-forming plant, growing to about 2 metres tall in one or two years. Tubers can be harvested after the first year. It is a hardy plant, tolerating wet and dry soils, but will form larger rhizomes in wet, fertile conditions. It is best grown in a frost free spot as foliage is damaged by light frosts, but even if it dies back to the ground it will usually produce new shoots the following spring.

 

A great plant for permaculture systems providing fast shelter and biomass, older stems can be cut back regularly to provide mulch material. A plant with many uses.

 

Size: 1.3L

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