Northern Wild Rice is the principal species harvested for human food and is culturally central to Ojibwe, Menominee, and other Great Lakes Indigenous nations. This annual aquatic grass grows in cooler, northern lakes and rivers compared to its relative Zizania aquatica. The grain was and remains a critical food source and is commercially harvested and cultivated. It is more cold-tolerant than other wild rice species and extends farther into Canada.
Habitat
Found in shallow, clear northern lakes and slow-moving rivers in the Great Lakes region and Canada.
Diet
Seeds eaten by canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks, and many diving and dabbling duck species.
How common
Uncommon
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