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Common Name: Foxnut

General Information

Euryale ferox is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China to N. India.

Habitat

Ponds and lakes in lowland, C. and S. Japan[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A water plant, it requires a rich soil, preferably growing in still water[]. It can be grown in still or slowly flowing water[]. In cultivation in temperate greenhouses, the plant is often grown as an annual[]. It requires about 0.75 cubic metres of root run[].
This species is not very cold hardy. One report says that it succeeds in zone 8[] which would mean that it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c but this must be viewed with some doubt. It is unlikely to succeed outdoors in Britain, at least when grown as a perennial[].
Frequently cultivated as an edible plant in China and India, the seeds are normally available in Chinatown markets in the West[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. Soft and pulpy, it is about the size of a small orange[]. It is highly esteemed in China as a cooling tonic food[].
Seed - fresh or dried[, ]. The seed is about the size of a pea, each fruit containing from 8 to 15 seeds[]. The seed is usually roasted and then eaten[]. It is also used as a source of starch[]. A nutritional analysis is available[].
Very young stalks and rhizomes[, ]. Rich in starch[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, the seed has a short viability and must not be allowed to become dry. Sow the seed in pots in a greenhouse at about 21°c and immerse the pots in water. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.