Wild Rice, Annual wildrice
Zizania aquatica
Family: Poaceae or Gramineae
What it is like
Zizania aquatica is a ANNUAL growing to 3.5 m (11ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.
Height (m): 3.5
Where it is found
Shallow waters of rivers and lakes, preferring a slow moving current.
Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Manitoba, south to Florida and Texas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 5
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.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
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.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Pond;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Water