Acorus calamus
Sweet flag
Common names: European sweet flag
Photo: J.F. Gaffard, Autoreille, France · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The sweet flag is a reed‑like riparian plant with sword‑shaped, aromatic leaves, botanically Acorus calamus. In nature it grows in the shallow water zone of ponds and ditches, where its creeping rhizome forms dense clumps. For centuries it was valued as a spice and medicinal plant; today it is prized mainly for its aroma and its effect as a pond scenery. The sweet flag is not suitable for consumption.
Care instructions
Plant the sweet flag in the shallow water zone of your pond, in a planting basket with loamy, nutrient‑rich soil, about 5 to 15 cm below the water surface. It tolerates full sun to partial shade and requires permanently moist to wet soil; never let it dry out. In late autumn, remove the wilted leaves; leave the rhizome to overwinter in the water; it is hardy down to well below freezing. Every three to four years, divide the clump in spring, once the first shoots become visible from mid‑April (week 16), to keep the plant vital and prevent uncontrolled spread.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Feeding
Medium feeder
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