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This is a distinctive native species that produces thick green rushes through the summer. I grew it initially just out of a sense of completeness,
but the stunningly beautiful scent of the leaves has made it a firm favourite. It is an unexpected member of the Araceae that I have never knowingly seen in the wild. The BSBI say: "A rhizomatous perennial herb, planted in gardens and naturalized along the margins of streams, slow-flowing rivers, canals, ponds and lakes in shallow, nutrient-rich calcareous water. The European plant is a sterile triploid. It does not set fruit in the British Isles and so its dispersal must depend on fragments of rhizome moved by water and deliberate planting by man. Lowland. Native plants are diploid (Siberia, North America) or tetraploid (southern and eastern Asia); the origin of the triploid is unknown but it is naturalized in Europe and western Asia, the Himalayas and eastern North America. A. calamus was introduced into England by 1582 and was established in the wild by 1656 (Witton Fens, East Norfolk). It continues to be more widespread than in the 1960s with some evidence of spread around its earlier strongholds, probably due to better recording as the plant flowers shyly in our area and may well have been overlooked in the past." Plants for Ponds say: "Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus) is a robust, clump-forming perennial that thrives along pond margins and in bog gardens. Reaching up to 1 metre in height, its sword-like, aromatic green leaves add vertical interest and texture to your garden. From May to July, it produces subtle greenish-yellow flower spikes, enhancing its appeal. Ideal for planting in plant margins and moist to wet soils, Sweet Flag supports local wildlife by providing habitat and shelter for amphibians and attracting pollinators. Its dense root system also aids in stabilising pond edges, preventing erosion." Graham Thomas said: "The green-leafed type was used in the past for strewing the floor; it is the Sweet Flag. (A pleasant cinnamon scent emanatesdfrom the leaves when crushed, and no doubt helped to counteract the smell of garbage thrown to the dogs, long before vacuum cleaners were invented.) In effect this is a waterside rush; the flowers are insignificant greenish yellow..." |
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| 12th November 2008 | ||