Euryale ferox Seeds | Fox Nut
LATIN NAME: Euryale ferox
COMMON NAME: Fox Nut
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Fox Nut, Euryale ferox is an annual in the water-lily family. Fox nut floats huge, crinkled leaves and purple flowers on still water, broad, prickly pads spreading over surface, and the whole plant carries the fine, bold look of the quiet pond. It is a plant of open, sunny, still, shallow water with rich, muddy ground below. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the water-lily family, Euryale ferox draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Centuries of cultivation have left a detailed record of how it grows and behaves.
Uses & Benefits
Fox Nut works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Fox nut is a bold, useful plant of quiet pond and study collection. It is a bold, useful plant of open, sunny, still, shallow water with rich, muddy ground below. Fox nut seeds germinate in warm, shallow water once mud is warm. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Fox nuts, Qian Shi, are a starchy aquatic seed treasured in Chinese medicine and cuisine as a gentle tonifying food for digestion and kidney support, now fashionable as a low-fat popped snack.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Fox Nut, and the process is uncomplicated. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Part of this plant’s appeal is the long practical history summarized above. The medicinal tradition behind this species, outlined above, is a large part of its interest. Start with fresh seed, keep it evenly moist, and the plant does the rest itself.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Fox Nut often pair it with these related subjects: