Sweet Flag
Acorus calamus
Grasses & Groundcovers Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
A distinctive, grass-like perennial valued for its aromatic, sweetly scented rhizomes and bold, sword-shaped, bright green or variegated leaves that fan outward from a central crown. The leaves have a pleasant, spicy fragrance when crushed. An excellent choice for water gardens, pond margins, rain gardens, and boggy areas. The golden-variegated cultivar ‘Variegatus’ is especially popular for its bright color.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Partial shade to full sun (3-6 hrs)
💧
Water
Consistently moist
💨
Humidity
High (60-80%)
🌡️
Temperature
5-28°C
🪴
Soil
Moist to wet, organically rich soil; thrives at pond edges, in bog gardens, and shallow water up to 15 cm deep
🧪
Fertilizer
Balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring; benefits from compost or manure top dressing
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
स्वीट फ्लैग
BN
Bengali
সুইট ফ্ল্যাগ
MR
Marathi
स्वीट फ्लॅग
TE
Telugu
స్వీట్ ఫ్లాగ్
TA
Tamil
ஸ்வீட் ஃப்லேக்
GU
Gujarati
સ્વીટ ફ્લેગ
UR
Urdu
سویٹ فلاگ
KN
Kannada
ಸ್ವೀಟ್ ಫ್ಲ್ಯಾಗ್
OR
Odia
ସୁଇଟ ଫ୍ଲାଗ୍
ML
Malayalam
സ്വീറ്റ് ഫ്ലാഗ്
PA
Punjabi
ਸਵੀਟ ਫਲੈਗ
AS
Assamese
সুইট ফ্লেগ
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Widespread across temperate and subtropical Northern Hemisphere — Europe, Asia, and North America; ancient medicinal and ceremonial plant
- 📏 Max height
- 30-90 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 30-60 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Late Spring - Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Green, Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green, Yellow Striped
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Contains beta-asarone, which is classified as a possible carcinogen; rhizomes traditionally used medicinally but internal use not recommended — handle with care
- 🌱 Propagation
- Division of rhizomes in early spring; rhizome cuttings laid on moist soil or water
🛡️ Health & Safety
Common issues
- Rust disease
- Leaf spot
- Rhizome rot from overwatering
- Spider mites
💡 Care tips
- Aromatic grass-like plant that thrives in wet boggy areas
- Iris-like yellow-green flower spikes appear in late spring
- Roots were historically used in herbal medicine
- Grows well at pond edges or in rain garden areas
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
