Hooded Arrowhead
Sagittaria calycina
Last reviewed: October 2026
Hooded Arrowhead is a wetland forb that thrives in full sun with consistently wet to saturated soil, producing white flowers from May through September in marshes, ditches and pond margins.
Toxicity unknown
Hooded Arrowhead (Sagittaria calycina) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
high
Size
12"–36" H × 12"–24" W
Bloom
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Native to
AL, AR, CA, CO and 25 more states
Pollinators
bees, flies, beetles
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 458 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaPicture natives in your own yard
Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Hooded Arrowhead.
Browse plants for this ecoregion
Hooded Arrowhead is an emergent aquatic forb with arrow-shaped leaves and whorled clusters of white, three-petaled flowers marked with yellow-green at the base. It grows in pond margins, marshes, and seasonally flooded flats, and needs standing water or saturated soil to thrive. Native to Texas per the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Growing Hooded Arrowhead
Grow Hooded Arrowhead in full sun and high water. Mature plants reach 12 to 36 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect moderate maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Hooded Arrowhead is an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement. Maintenance level: moderate. Tidiness: 3 out of 5.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Requires standing water or consistently saturated soil, such as a pond margin or rain garden feature, and is not suited to a standard dry front-yard bed.
Wildlife value
Its blooms draw bees, flies, and other pollinators, and the foliage and tubers provide food for waterfowl and wetland wildlife, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Common questions
- What kind of light does Hooded Arrowhead need?
- It grows best in full sun, though plants along shallow wetland margins can tolerate a bit of light shade.
- How much water does Hooded Arrowhead require?
- It needs consistently high moisture and grows well in standing water, mud, or saturated soil such as pond edges, ditches, and marshes.
- When does Hooded Arrowhead bloom?
- It typically flowers from May through September, with white blooms appearing on stalks above the water or mud.
- What insects visit Hooded Arrowhead flowers?
- Bees, flies, and beetles are the main visitors, drawn to the flowers for pollen and nectar.
- Is Hooded Arrowhead evergreen?
- No, it is a deciduous perennial that dies back to its roots in fall and regrows from the base the following spring.
- Is Hooded Arrowhead HOA-friendly?
- Hooded Arrowhead is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with moderate maintenance.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Hooded Arrowhead? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.