• Photo of Saururus cernuus (Saururus cernuuss)

Plant Profile: Saururus cernuus

Taxonomy: Saururus cernuus

Names

American Swamp Lily, Lizard's Tail, Water-dragon

  • Photo of Saururus cernuus (Saururus cernuuss)

Phonetic Spelling:saw-roo-rus SER-new-us

Genus:Saururus

Species:cernuus

Family:Saururaceae

The plant commonly known as Lizard's Tail derives its name from the shape of its flowers and subsequent fruit. It thrives in swampy areas and shallow waters, making it suitable for planting along pond edges or in containers submerged in water. For optimal growth, use containers ranging from 2 to 5 gallons. Over time, this plant can develop extensive colonies and can be propagated through seeds or by dividing its roots. Its flowers, leaves, and roots emit a pleasant aroma reminiscent of sassafras or citrus. This species is classified as an emergent wetland plant.

Regarding pests and diseases, Lizard's Tail is generally resilient, with few significant insect threats or disease problems reported.

Saururus cernuus Feature Summary

Saururus cernuus Image Gallery

Tags

#heavy shade tolerant
#rain garden
#water plant
#food source summer
#wetlands
#loamy soil
#flood tolerant
#stream banks
#wet soils tolerant
#perennial
#pond edge
#floodplain
#deciduous
#Coastal OBL
#white
#summer flowers
#sandy soil
#riparian
#forb
#shade garden
#fruits summer
#ducks
#fragrant flowers
#food source
#showy
#pond margins
#perennial flowers
#waterfowl
#bog gardens
#shade tolerant
#wood ducks
#fragrant
#piedmont
#wetland margins
#aggressive
#food source fall
#standing water
#swamps
#wet sites
#colonies
#NC native
#flowering
#full sun tolerant
#marshes
#native wildflower
#water garden
#native
#food source hard mast fruit
#native perennial
#deer resistant
#partial shade tolerant
#pond
#citrus fragrance
#loamy soils tolerant
#fall fruits
#cover
#naturalizes
#green fruits
#white flowers
#flowers
#sandy soils tolerant
#spreading
#spring interest
#partial sun
#coastal plants
#shade flowers
#heat tolerant
#mountains
#audubon
#clay soils tolerant
#native garden
#showy flowers
#wildlife plant
#rhizomatous
#Piedmont Mountains OBL
#fall interest
#summer interest
#perennials
#spring flowers

Similar Plants

Saururus cernuus Feature Summary

Attributes
North American (eastern)
This plant provides cover for wood ducks.
Perennial
Fragrance
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Attractive Flowers
Fruit
Green and looks like a wart. In North Carolina, the fruits are available from August to November.
Green
Brown/Copper
Flowers
Long, narrow racemes opposite a leaf of nodding 4-6" (they can get as long as 12") spikes. These flowers' tips droop. The white flowers are on the small side, but they are fragrant and a bit showy. In North Carolina, the flowers are available from May to September.
Spring
Summer
< 1 inch
Leaves
3-6" bright green, lance-shaped to triangular with heart-shaped base. Palmately veined.
Cordate
Lanceolate
Deltoid
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Stem
Whole Plant Traits
Herbaceous Perennial
Native Plant
Wildflower
Water Plant
Erect
Spreading
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Occasionally Wet
Frequent Standing Water
Occasional Flooding
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
9a
9b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Rain Garden
Native Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Deer
Insect Pests
Wet Soil
Diseases
Heavy Shade
Container
Naturalized Area
Coastal
Pond

Saururus cernuus Attributes

Saururus cernuus: Country Or Region Of Origin

North American (eastern)

Saururus cernuus: Wildlife Value

This plant provides cover for wood ducks.

Saururus cernuus: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Saururus cernuus: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Saururus cernuus: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Saururus cernuus Fruit

Saururus cernuus: Fruit Description

Green and looks like a wart. In North Carolina, the fruits are available from August to November.

Saururus cernuus: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Saururus cernuus: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Green

Saururus cernuus: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Saururus cernuus Flowers

Saururus cernuus: Flower Description

Long, narrow racemes opposite a leaf of nodding 4-6" (they can get as long as 12") spikes. These flowers' tips droop. The white flowers are on the small side, but they are fragrant and a bit showy. In North Carolina, the flowers are available from May to September.

Saururus cernuus: Flower Color

filter_vintage
White

Saururus cernuus: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Saururus cernuus: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Saururus cernuus: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Saururus cernuus: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Saururus cernuus Leaves

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Description

3-6" bright green, lance-shaped to triangular with heart-shaped base. Palmately veined.

Saururus cernuus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Saururus cernuus: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Saururus cernuus: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Saururus cernuus Stem

Saururus cernuus: Stem Description

Erect, zig-zag stems

Saururus cernuus: Stem Color

grass
Green

Saururus cernuus: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Saururus cernuus: Stem Form

Straight
Zig Zags

Saururus cernuus Whole Plant Traits

Saururus cernuus: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Saururus cernuus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Saururus cernuus: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Saururus cernuus: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Saururus cernuus: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Saururus cernuus Cultural Conditions

Saururus cernuus: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Saururus cernuus: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Saururus cernuus: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Saururus cernuus: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Saururus cernuus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
3a
thermostat
3b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Saururus cernuus: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Saururus cernuus Landscape

Saururus cernuus: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Saururus cernuus: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Saururus cernuus: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland