Acorus (Sweet Flag) Pictures: Get to Know the Varieties, Characteristics and Care Essentials

Acorus is a common perennial aquatic herbaceous plant, mostly growing in moist areas such as streams, ponds and marshes. As you can see in pictures of Acorus, its leaves are sword-shaped, slender, upright and fresh green, the whole plant carries a faint fresh fragrance, and at flowering time it sends up a yellow-green spadix inflorescence, giving it a clean, crisp overall form with strong ornamental appeal.

Common types of Acorus include Acorus calamus, Acorus tatarinowii, Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus' (dwarf golden sweet flag) and Acorus gramineus 'Husixuangong' (tiger-whisker sweet flag), among others. Acorus calamus is tall with broad leaves; Acorus tatarinowii is relatively short with narrow, slender leaves; dwarf golden sweet flag and tiger-whisker sweet flag have compact, small plant forms and are often made into desk bonsai. When identifying them from pictures, focus on comparing leaf width, depth of leaf colour and plant height, as these are the key points for telling different Acorus types apart.

As for care, Acorus prefers shady, moist environments and dislikes strong direct sunlight, so it suits a ventilated spot with scattered light. Potted plants should be kept with moist soil, and when the air is dry you can mist the leaves to raise humidity; for water culture, pay attention to keeping the water clean and changing it in time, to avoid roots rotting from long-term fouling.

Acorus leaves contain volatile aromatic oils and have a fresh scent. In our country's traditional folk customs, there is often a custom of hanging Acorus around the Dragon Boat Festival. It can also be used to accent courtyard water features and purify water bodies, combining ornamental and cultural value. Looking through Acorus pictures and then choosing based on variety characteristics means even beginners can more quickly find an Acorus suited to their own environment.