Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea)
Regular price $18.95Need to make a custard thick, quick? Arrowroot is the ingredient for you!
Native to Guyana and western Brazil, the creeping rootstalk tubers are perfect for cultivating thicker textures in sauces, soups and so on. The Arrow-shaped Arrowroot rhizome is harvested for its low-temperature friendly starch and can also be boiled down alone to create a jelly. Its roots are peeled and grated into water where it’s dried after several rinses and made into a powder flour. It takes a bit of patience to grow, requiring up to 12 months of humid weather to squeeze as much starch as it can, but it’s worth the wait! Arrowroot has been growing in use because of its easy to digest characteristics.
Plant Type:
Perennial Deciduous Herb
Harvest Season:
After 10-12 months of humid weather, when the leaves begin to fall and the root is thick with starch
Mature Size:
Up to 5’ tall
Soil & Moisture:
Likes consistently moist, well-drained soil and high humidity conditions. Arrowroot isn't super picky about soil conditions as long as it is well-draining and never totally dries out. Avoid dense clays or super sandy soil to prevent Arrowroots growth from stunting.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Will tolerate higher light in lower temperatures
Self-Fertile:
Yes
Growth Rate:
Slow
Propagation:
Our Arrowroot plants are grown by root division and will be ready to harvest within 1-2 growing seasons.
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-12 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+