Skip to content
TrueNorthBriefQuick, clear answers for curious Canadians
Things

Water Chestnuts

What is water chestnuts?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Scientific name Eleocharis dulcis[1]
Common name Chinese water chestnut[1]
Plant family Cyperaceae[3]
Edible part corms[1]
Other plant also called water chestnut Trapa natans[3]

Water chestnuts are the edible corms of the aquatic plant *Eleocharis dulcis*, commonly called Chinese water chestnut, and the name is also used for the unrelated aquatic plant *Trapa natans* [1] [3].

Context

Water chestnuts are the edible corms of the aquatic plant *Eleocharis dulcis*, also known as Chinese water chestnut, and belong to the sedge family Cyperaceae [3]. They are not nuts but aquatic vegetables [1]. The name is also used for the unrelated aquatic plant *Trapa natans*, which is an invasive species in some regions [3] [2].

Documented claims

  • Water chestnuts are not nuts; they are aquatic vegetables. [1]
  • Trapa natans is an aquatic invasive plant that forms dense mats and interferes with recreational activities. [2]

Questions and answers

Are water chestnuts good for you?

Water chestnuts are a vegetable, not a nut, and are commonly eaten as a food crop [1].

Is a water chestnut a nut or vegetable?

Water chestnuts are not nuts; they are the edible corms of an aquatic plant [1].

What the heck are water chestnuts?

Water chestnuts are the edible corms of the aquatic plant *Eleocharis dulcis*, also called Chinese water chestnut [1].

Sources

  1. Water Chestnut - NYSDEC — dec.ny.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Water Chestnut | Wisconsin Sea Grant — seagrant.wisc.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Water Chestnut | WNY PRISM — wnyprism.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things