Botanical Name: Eleocharis dulcis
Some other names: Chinese water chestnut, Somwang, Apulid
How to Grow It
Water chestnut is a perennial sedge with long, hollow, rush-like leaves that poke above the water’s surface. It grows from underground corms – the part we eat – and is happiest when its feet are wet and warm.
Climate: Water chestnut thrives in subtropical and tropical climates, but can grow in cooler areas if you can give it at least six warm months of growth. It’s not frost-tolerant – cold snaps will set it back or kill it.
Sun: Loves full sun and needs plenty of warmth to produce a good crop.
Water: Think “wet feet always.” It grows best in boggy soil or shallow water. Too much water too early, however, can rot young corms – plant them in damp soil first, then flood later.
Planting season: Spring, once the weather has warmed.
How to plant: Mix compost or manure into your bed or container soil. Plant corms 2–3 per square metre, about 5–8 cm deep. When shoots reach above soil level, slowly add water until it’s about 10 cm deep – they’ll shoot up fast from there.
Propagation: Plant fresh corms each year for the biggest harvest. Technically, the plant can perennialise, but if you leave corms in year after year they shrink in size and become fiddly to peel.
Container tip: You don’t need a paddy! Old bathtubs, stock tanks, and big tubs are perfect. About 30 cm of soil topped with 10 cm of water is ideal.
Herbal & Nutrient Value
Water chestnuts might look simple, but they’re a nutritious survival staple.
- High in carbohydrates – a great energy food that stores well.
- Contains vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, and copper, all of which support healthy metabolism, nerves, and blood pressure.
- Traditionally in Asia, water chestnuts have been used for cooling the body in hot weather, helping soothe fevers and inflammation, and aiding digestion.
Traditional & Home Remedies
Chinese medicine: Water chestnut juice used for sore throat and coughs.
Poultices: Mashed corms applied to skin rashes.
Using It in the Kitchen
Freshly dug water chestnuts are a treat – once you peel off their thin, dark brown skins, you’ll find snow-white, sweet, nutty flesh inside.
- Raw: Crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet – great for snacking or chopping into salads.
- Cooked: Stay crunchy even after heating, which is why they’re so beloved in Asian stir-fries and curries.
- Storage: Water chestnuts freeze beautifully. Blanch for a few minutes, cool, then freeze on trays before bagging so you can grab just a handful when needed.
Harvest tip: Dig them up in winter to early spring when the plant dies back.
Simple recipe ideas
– Classic Stir-Fry Crunch: Toss sliced chestnuts into a veggie stir-fry for texture.
– Asian Noodle Soup: Add blanched corms to broth for crunch in every spoonful.
– Crisp Water Chestnut Salad: Mix raw slices with cucumber, coriander, and a lime dressing.
– Sweet & Savoury Roast: Roast halved chestnuts with soy, honey, and sesame for a snack.
– Frozen Ready-to-Go Stash: Blanch and freeze chestnuts – then drop them straight into curries, soups, or casseroles year-round.
adding to salads, stirfries or soups.
Other Uses
- Aquatic helper: Perfect for turning soggy ground or old bathtubs into food production zones.
- Ornamental: Those rush-like leaves look good around a pond edge.
- Soil builder: Harvesting means digging and stirring soil, which helps aerate and refresh boggy beds.
Why it’s a survival plant:
Water chestnuts thrive in conditions most crops hate – mud, swampy patches, and neglected ponds – and reward you with a crunchy, storable, calorie-rich harvest that keeps your meals interesting when other veggies are scarce.
