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Common Name: Wild Rice

General Information

Zizania aquatica is an annual plant that can grow up to 3.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Manitoba, south to Florida and Texas.

Habitat

Shallow waters of rivers and lakes, preferring a slow moving current[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	3.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in water up to 60cm deep, it tolerates water up to 1 metre deep though it prefers growing in water 10 - 20cm deep[]. It dislikes stagnant water[].
A very ornamental plant[], it grows, flowers and fruits well in the lake and lily pond at Kew[]. Plants can self-sow in Britain, but the seed tends to germinate too late to mature a fresh crop of seed in this country, so the plant gradually dies out[]. It would possibly maintain itself in areas such as the Isle of Wight, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk[]. It is a very hardy plant, the seed survives being frozen in ice[]. Plants grown at a 30cm square spacing can produce 20 or more flowering shoots[].
Often collected from the wild, this plant is now being cultivated commercially for its edible seed[]. It is considered a gourmet's delicacy and is sold in many parts of the world, usually in health food shops and usually at a very high price[].
Plants require protection from wild fowl otherwise they will devour the young growth[]. Plants are occasionally sown by lakes and rivers in Europe to attract wild fowl[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. It can be used as a cereal. A staple food of the native North American Indians[, ], the long black delicious grain is eaten as an expensive gourmet meal[]. It is used in the same ways that rice is used and is sometimes added to rice dishes to impart its subtle flavour. The seed can also be ground into a meal and used in making bread, thickening soups etc[]. It is a very rich source of riboflavin and is also rich in niacin[].
The base of the culms is used as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - it must not be allowed to dry out or it will quickly lose its viability, usually within 4 weeks[]. Store collected seed in jars of water in a cool place such as the salad compartment of a fridge. Sow the seed in spring. Immerse the pots so that they are covered by about 5cm of water. It is best to sow 2 seeds per 7cm pot in a greenhouse in order to get early germination and a better chance of a crop[]. Pot on as required and plant out about 30cm square in May, by which time the plants should be 20 - 30cm tall[]. Larger quantities can be sown in shallow boxes and plunged into the pond etc in May.