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Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' (Yellow-leaved Calamus) - Grass-like perennial with thin iris-like arching foliage that has a rich yellow variegation. Grows to 6-12 inches tall and spreads slowly by rhizomes. Tiny, insignificant, yellow-green flowers bloom from spring to early summer on lateral, sedge-like flower spikes but are hardly noticeable.
Plant in full sun to light shade in soil that is moist or regularly irrigated. In a pond the water depth should be right at the soil line or up to 2 to 4 inches above crown. It is cold hardy to USDA Zone 5 (-10°F). A useful plant massed as a small-scale groundcover or as an accent container plant or to light up a dark area of the pond.
The species Acorus gramineus, commonly called grassy-leaved sweet flag, is native to wetland areas of China, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines. The name for the genus was one that Theophrastus, the Greek considered to be the "father of botany", used for a plant with an aromatic rhizome. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word meaning "grass". The rich yellow foliage distinguishes this 'Ogon' variety from the cultivar 'Variegatus', which is green with thin cream stripes, often along one leaf margin. We also grow an all yellow selection made from this variety called Acorus gramineus 'Golden Lion'
The genus Acorus is considered to be one of the most primitive of the monocots still in existence. Historically it was recognized as an aberrant genus within the arum family (Araceae), which includes such plants as calla lily and Taro, but much evidence, including the absence of a spathe common to aroids, supports its treatment as a separate family and it is now placed in its own family, the Acoraceae. We have grown this nice plant since 1991 and have a large specimen growing in one of the nursery's water gardens.
The information displayed on this page about Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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