Acorus americanus
sweet flag
 
Sweet flag is a distinctive, grass-like perennial that grows along the edges of ponds, streams, and wetlands, where its sword-shaped leaves add strong vertical lines. Native to shallow water and saturated soils, it is well suited to rain gardens and low areas that stay wet throughout the growing season.
 
Although its flowers are subtle, sweet flag plays an important structural role in wetland habitats. Its dense clumps provide shelter for amphibians, dragonfly larvae, and other aquatic invertebrates, while helping stabilize soils at the water’s edge. It is often used as part of a larger planting palette to support wetland health rather than as a standalone ornamental.
 
photo by Ryan Hodnett