Conscious Flow (art).

"Conscious Flow" by David Nicholls.

Painting completed 12/23. Acrylic on canvas.

 

Nymphaea alba petioles productive edible

 

The book Cross-cultural ethnobotany of Northeast India (Saklani & Jain 1994) states the petioles (leaf stalks) of Nymphaea alba (the white waterlily) are edible and are sold in markets, which suggests high food value and quality.

I find chopped and boiled very briefly the leaf stalks taste mildly of beans and have a pleasant, asparagus like texture. Not spectacular but good, I eat them often in stir fry or "stir boil".

Harvested leaves and leaf stalks are quickly replaced by new ones over spring, summer and autumn so it is a particularly reliable and productive crop (I have only been harvesting continuously like this for about 6 months, I'm not certain the plant can take this over many years but I expect it can. I also leave most of the leaves/leaf stalks alone at any one time so as not to put too much strain on the plant).

I grow it in a black plastic flexi-tub 55 cm wide. I find I can harvest the amount pictured above at least once a week from one tub which is pretty good. The black plastic raises the temperature of the water when sun is on it which may increase productivity, perhaps to subtropical levels in this temperate climate.

I have also eaten the petioles of Nymphaea odorata, probably not quite as good. Flowers, leaves rhizomes and seeds of this waterlily are considered edible (Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. MacKinnon et al. 2009) so I am sure the petioles are too. It is possible any Nymphaea petiole can be eaten but some may be slightly unsafe or require lengthy cooking to break down the mild toxin nupharine. I find they tend to break apart with lengthy cooking.