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WEST INDIAN ARROWROOT GROWING INFORMATION © Frances Michaels
BOTANICAL NAME: Maranta arundinacea
COMMON NAMES: West Indian Arrowroot
FAMILY: Marantaceae
PLANT DESCRIPTION
It is native to tropical South America. It does best on rich well-drained sandy loams. It is a completely
different plant to Queensland Arrowroot
Canna edulis It looks similar to Turmeric in leaf shape.
The fine-grained starch, derived from the rhizomes, is the commercial source of arrowroot flour, which
produces a very fine paste or jelly.
USES
Tubers can be eaten raw or baked but are very fibrous. To extract the starch, the tubers are first washed
and then crushed. This pulp is mixed with water and passed through sieves to remove the fibres. The water
is then evaporated off the trays, leaving the starch behind. The highly digestible starch is used in
pastries, biscuits, and is preferred to flour in thickening soups, sauces and gravies.
PLANTING DETAILS

In cooler areas plant in spring, in frost-free tropical areas, plant at the beginning of the wet season.
Plant the rhizome 5-7.5 cm deep. Space plants about 30 cm apart.
HARVEST
The rhizomes are ready to harvest at 10-12 months after planting when the leaves turn yellow and the stems
fall over.
More info on growing Queensland arrowroot...
Not to TAS or WA
SORRY but due to quarantine restrictions between Australian States no plants at all can be ordered
by residents of
TAS and
WA. These restrictions
are very important as they prevent the spread of plant pests and diseases. No potatoes, garlic, shallots
or strawberries can be sent to
SA.
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