Acorus gramineus

About this plant

Acorus gramineus, the Japanese sweet flag, is a rhizomatous wetland plant rather than a dependable fully submerged aquarium species. It is native from the eastern Himalaya through East Asia to the Philippines and naturally grows in wet ground and flood zones. Ordinary forms may tolerate submersion for a time, but they usually show little growth and can decline when kept permanently under water. The dwarf cultivar 'Pusillus' has better reports in aquariums, but that cultivar should be maintained as a separate profile and should not be used to imply that all A. gramineus forms are equally suitable. Standard and taller forms belong in paludariums, ripariums, pond margins or humid emersed displays. Propagate established plants by dividing the creeping rhizome and retaining roots and leaves on each section. Aquarium CO2, nutrient and placement values are intentionally omitted because they would suggest a level of permanent submersed suitability that the species does not reliably have.