Acorus 'Oborozuki'

Acorus 'Oborozuki': Wet Feet? These Gold Stripes Don't Mind

Gold and green striped blades that light up a wet spot like someone strung patio lights along the ditch. 'Oborozuki' loves soggy feet and smells great when you crush a leaf. THE SWAMP JUST GOT A GLOW UP.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Acorus gramineus 'Oborozuki'
• Common Name: Grassy-leaved Sweet Flag
• Height: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Spread: 15 cm (6 in), slowly widening
• Flowers: Insignificant; grown for its foliage
• Foliage: Narrow, grass-like leaves striped golden yellow and green, fragrant when crushed. Semi-evergreen in mild winters.
• Features: Rabbit resistant, tolerates wet soil

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a pond, stream or rain garden, or to brighten a damp corner. It works as a groundcover in small groups and in containers, as long as the pot stays moist. In colder areas, a sheltered spot with good snow cover helps it through winter.

Companion Plants: Edge a wet, part-shade spot with these golden blades and fill the space behind with moisture-loving flowers. Iris 'Miss Apple' opens red and yellow Siberian iris at 75 cm in May and June. Physostegia 'Crown Rose' adds rose-pink obedient plant spikes at 50 cm from July to September. Hibiscus 'Marshmallow Moon' brings big white blooms at 90 to 105 cm from July to September. Veronicastrum virginicum rises at the back to 120 to 180 cm with white candelabra spikes in July and August.

Plant Care: Plant in moist to wet, humus-rich soil. It's happy at a pond's edge but doesn't want to sit in deep standing water. Never let it dry out, because dry soil scorches the leaf tips. In hot, sunny sites, give it afternoon shade. In early spring, trim off any tired or winter-burned leaves so fresh growth can come through. Divide clumps in spring every few years if you want more plants.

History: Grassy-leaved sweet flag is native to Japan, Korea and other parts of eastern Asia, where it grows along streams and in wet ground. Oborozuki is a Japanese word for a hazy moon.

Final Thoughts: Pond edge, rain garden, that corner that never dries out? Plant it there, and the deer and rabbits won't bother. YOUR SOGGY PROBLEM IS NOW A FEATURE.