For some reason, I am drawn to this photo. I have seen these volunteer plants in my frog pond for about a year now, and have never tried to figure out what they are. There are several different varieties, all with those mesmerizing, pure-white flowers. I think I just described why I get lost in this photo. It is the contrast between the dark, mysterious water, and the white, ethereal flowers. All of this in a setting of what seems like a green mini-forest. When you are finished gazing, I have the real-world info for you as well!
This plant is a species of Arrowhead, my guess is Sagittaria graminea.1 I mentioned that it is a volunteer, and that is probably why I never got around to finding out what it was. In my experience, “volunteers” are usually not native plants. Good news! This plant is native and has historically been used for food for humans and wildlife.2
