Acorus americanus

Acorus americanus

$9.89

Sweet Flag Category:

Description

Key Information:

Soil: Hydric (Wet). Emergent wetland plant that can also thrives in rich, moist soil.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 1-3 feet
Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: May – July

More Detail:

Suggested Uses: Sweet Flag is an excellent choice for shoreline restoration and rain gardens. This plant will tie up toxins in the water and will help to purify it.  Its bright yellow-green iris-like foliage make for a nice contrast with other foliage types. Rhizomatous. This plant has also been grown inside as a houseplant and can be submerged in aquariums!

Range: Native to most of the northern U.S and Canada.

Pollinators/Habitat: Insect pollinated, species unknown. Provides habitat for wildlife including muskrats and wood ducks.

Flowers: A club-like spadix juts out from the 2-sided stem and is covered with tiny flowers.

Leaves: The stiff, sword-like leaves are 1-4′ long.

Interesting Facts:

DNA suggests the Acorus genus is one of the oldest surviving monocots!

Acorus americanus (fertile diploid) is a native to North American but resembles the introduced Acorus calamus (sterile triploid) from Europe and Asia.

Other Names: Calamus Root, Sweet Flag, Bitteroot, Rat Root, Sweet Sedge, Flag Root, Sweet Calomel, Sweet Myrtle, Sweet Cane, Sweet Rush, Beewort, Muskrat Root, Pine Root

More information: USDA PLANTS Database profile page

Photo of Acorus calamus above is from Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester.

Additional information

Weight 2 lbs
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Uses