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Acorus calamus Sweet Flag; Flagroot |
Denver Botanic Gardens
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Accession Number: 182316*1 Map | |
| More about Acorus calamus | |
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Medicinal properties: Sweet flag is known as a tonic (increases the feeling of well-being) and a stimulant. It has antispasmodic properties. Sweet flag is considered a eupeptic (promoting digestion), and a carminative (eliminating gas from the body). This is why it has been used to treat digestive problems such as lack of appetite, weakness, dyspepsia, and IBS. Small amounts of sweet flag have been known to reduce stomach acidity, while larger amounts have been known to increase it. Mythology/Folklore: Originating from India, sweet flag was considered an aphrodisiac in India and Egypt for at least 2,500 years. In Greek mythology, the plant was sacred to Dionysus, as the rhizome was a wine additive. In the myth of “the Metamorphosis of Syrinx,” the nymph Syrinx turned herself into sweet flag to escape from the god Pan’s advances. Because of this myth, sweet flag was thought to also be sacred to Pan. Sweet flag has been used in chartreuse, gin, and vermouth. Perfumer Steffen Arctander has described the odor of the plant as smelling like a milk truck or the inside of a shoe repair shop. The poet Walt Whitman wrote a poem titled “Sweet Flag” between 1850 and 1855, as he was composing “Leaves of Grass.” Some of the species within the sweet flag genus have the carcinogen compound ß-asarone. Thankfully, the calamus species does not contain this carcinogen. Sweet flag is considered an aquatic plant as it lives mainly in marshy or wet areas. Medicinal recipe: Sweet Flag Infusion: Take the root of a sweet flag plant and let it soak at the top (stress this) of a closed jar in cold water. Allow for overnight soaking. Use as a digestive aid. Culture: Sweet flag grows best in sunny spots, but also tolerates partial shade well. It can struggle when grown in full shade, especially if the soil is dry. A lover of wet soil, give sweet flag a moist spot, such as underneath a leaky hose spigot or in a container garden that doesn't have excess drainage. |
| LOCATION GROUP | Herb Garden |
| FAMILY NAME | Sweet-Flag Family |
| FAMILY | Acoraceae |
| ACCESSION DATE |
July 03, 2018 (When this plant was acquired and registered in the database) |
| FLOWER COLOR | yellow |
| FRUIT COLOR | green |
| USDA HZ | 3 (Coldest Zone Where Hardy) |
| HABIT | Herbaceous (Non-woody) |
| SOIL | Moist soil |
Location Map for 182316*1 Acorus calamus
Map Help
Flowering
When Acorus calamus has been observed flowering at Denver Botanic Gardens
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