Saururus

The upright stems bear attractive heart-shaped leaves are up to 6" long. Spreads by rhizomes to form a colony. Leaves have a mild sweet scent; the rootstock is strongly aromatic. The arching, bottlebrush-like flower spikes, which are cream-colored and fragrant, appear above the foliage in summer. At maturity, the flowers become a string of seed capsules with a drooping tip that resembles a brown scaly lizard's tail. Occurs naturally in swamps and shallow water, and is well suited to such sites, but is also adaptable to moist, well-drained soil. A popular water garden plant, it is tolerant of alkaline soil and will bloom even in heavy shade. Can be grown in aquariums with good light. Used medicinally as the source of several sedative compounds.