Although sweet flag looks like a grass, it is in a family by itself. Like grasses, though, sweet flags are grown for their textural foliage. The plants grow best in moist soil and may even grow in several inches of standing water, making striking upright accents in water gardens or moist borders.

Sweet flag grows 2 to 2.5 feet tall in full sun to part shade. Plant it in wet soil at the pond edge or in shallow water up to 9 inches deep. It spreads slowly on creeping rhizomes and can form a colony over time. The leaves and roots smell sweet when bruised, which is how it got its name.

Hardiness Zones 4-10