Arrowhead Root can be found along stream and river banks in intertidal mudflats and other wet areas. It is a perennial aquatic herb with distinctive succulent green arrow-shaped leaves that grow alternately from a rhizome. Each leaf grows on one stem. The whole plant can reach heights of up to 3 ft. Arrowhead flowers bloom in sets of 3 on a central stem from July through September. Each flower has three white petals up to an inch long with many stamens. Walnut-sized edible tubers develop on roots/rhizomes from the central part of the plant. These tubers contain a milky juice.

Arrowhead Root is an important aquatic and riparian plant. It provides cover for aquatic insects and fish, while the seeds and tubers (root structures) provide food for many species of waterfowl, songbirds, and aquatic mammals like beavers. Traditionally the over-wintering part of the rootstock, called the corm, was eaten to treat indigestion and as a source of food for the Ojibwe people.