Sweet Flag Acorus calamus
- Phonetic Spelling
- AH-kor-us KAL-ah-mus
- Description
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Easily grown in boggy wet conditions with water not more than 2 to 3 inches deep. Plant rhizomes below the surface at the water's edge or in containers to prevent any weedy spread. It appreciates afternoon shade, especially in hot southern summers. Leaves and rhizomes are sweetly scented when crushed, hence the common name. It is grown primarily as an accent or specimen foliage plant in pond or water gardens but it can be found in low spots, naturalized, or woodland areas as long as high soil moisture is maintained.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Leaf scorch can occur if soils are not kept consistently moist.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aureovariegatus'
Striped leaves with white and green - 'Aureovariegatus'
- 'Aureovariegatus', 'Variegatus'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aureovariegatus'
Striped leaves with white and green - 'Aureovariegatus'
- 'Aureovariegatus', 'Variegatus'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Acorus
- Species:
- calamus
- Family:
- Acoraceae
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe
- Distribution:
- North America, particularly NE and Central
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Tree
- Water Plant
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Frequent Standing Water
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- Fleshy
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Insignificant
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Late spring, not showy, greenish flowers appear in elongated spadixes 2-4" without showy spathes.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Iris-like sword-shaped leaves 3/4" wide growing in basal clumps and reaching more than 30" tall. One margin of the leaf is wavy and it has a prominent mid-rib. Sweet fragrance when bruised.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Naturalized Area
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Rain Garden
- Water Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Erosion
- Heavy Shade
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Weedy
