Queensland arrowroot?

[Stillman]

This comes up in the back yard all the time, I'm not sure what it is but thought maybe someone could have a go at IDing it? From pics on the net it looks like it is Queensland arrowroot?

HAs a red flower but this plant has gone to seed?

a little seedling coming up, in the garden.

unripe seed pods

dried seed pods I figure these must be easy to grow from seed.

[bullit]

i c this growin everywhere up here ! along the creeks and wetlands <> orange , red, yellow, flowers ! its a weed???

[Stillman]

thats the one, Where ever I turn soil it comes up in my yard, it doesn't mind wet feet.

[bullit]

cannon lily??

[Stillman]

Thats the one think its Canna indica var edulis. Pretty sure I have the right plant then. The tubers are an edible, like potato.

[shortly]

It could be any number of canna's. If it has a rhizome the size of a kids football then its edulis, if the rhizome is more like a ginger then it could be any of a dozen or so others.

Most of the weedy ones in creeks are the old indian shot C indica

Edulis is great in damp spots, but it oxodises faster than any other veg known to man, you really need to peel it under water & keep it in water until it go's in the pot.

[Stillman]

are any of the weedy ones in our area poisonous. The seeds look like excellent slingshot pellets. When do you pull them up? after they flower and seed?

[shortly]

Nope no nasty ones, but they do bioaccumulate toxins from the environment, most of the spp are fibrous to down right woody.

Commercially they harvest once they die down in early winter, but if they have been in ground for a year or more just harvest what you need as you need it. It wont hurt the plant much & they dont store very well so are best picked peace meal.

And yep they make great ammo, you can bring down a skippy with one in the right slingshot. And the best part is they dont cost $ & they rot down if you miss.