Skip

Water Caltrop Trapa natans

How to sow water caltrop: Transplant or direct seed

Sun requirement for water caltrop: Plant in Full Sun

Nobody is growing this yet. You could be the first!

The Water Caltrop is a floating annual aquatic plant grown for its large, starchy seeds. There are three species, listed above. Trapa rossica is endangered. Water Caltrop grow in slow-moving water up to 5m deep. They are native to the warm temperate regions of Eurasia and Africa. Their fruits are uniquely shaped, sometimes resembling a bull's head or flying bat. Each fruit has one, large, starchy seed. Stems have two types of leaves: submerged feathery leaves and ovoid or triangular leaves that float on the surface of the water. Water Caltrop was introduced to North America as an ornamental in the 1800s and quickly became an invasive, forming dense floating mats that clogged waterways in the Great Lakes and Hudson River. Water Caltrops are sometimes called Water Chestnuts, but Water Chesnuts (Eleocharis dulcis) are a separate, unrelated aquatic species grown for its roots or corms.

Image of water caltrop

Predictions

Annual

living and reproducing in a single year or less

Height

460cm

Spread

20cm

Photos

Water caltrop crops

more photos ยป

Crop Map

Only plantings by members who have set their locations are shown on this map.

What people are saying about water caltrop

Nobody has posted about water caltrop yet.

Sign in or sign up to post your tips and experiences growing water caltrop.

How to grow water caltrop

Scientific names

Trapa natans

Alternate names

water caltrop
water chestnut
buffalo nut
bat nut
devil pod
ling nut

See who's planted water caltrop

Water caltrop harvests

Nobody has harvested this crop yet.

Find water caltrop seeds

There are no seeds available to trade on Growstuff right now.