Variegatus Sweet Flag

Variegatus Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus') is a small, evergreen, grass-like plant, about 30cm tall and up to 50cm wide, with slender leaves edged in creamy yellow. Its real talent is wet ground. It grows happily in poorly drained soil, beside ponds and creeks and in bog gardens where most border plants would rot, and it shrugs off cold down to minus 20C.

Why you'll love it

• Bright striped foliage. Narrow green leaves with creamy yellow margins lift a damp or dull corner, and the colour holds all year because the plant is evergreen.
• Made for wet soil. Boggy and poorly drained ground suits it, and it is even grown in cold water ponds.
• Very cold hardy. It is listed to minus 20C, so frost is not a worry in any Australian garden.
• Easy once settled. It needs one slow release feed a year and, if the leaves tire, a single clip in late winter.
• A tidy size. A low, arching clump about 30cm high suits path edges, pots and the front of a bed.

Where it works best

Ponds, creeks and bog gardens. Plant it at the water's edge or in saturated soil where the roots stay wet. It softens hard pond edges.

Mass planting and edging. Set plants 30cm apart for a continuous striped drift or a neat border line. The clumps knit together over a few seasons.

Containers and feature pots. Its fine texture suits glazed pots and troughs, as long as the mix never dries out.

Growing Variegatus Sweet Flag in Australia

Position and climate. Plant it in full sun, though it copes with part shade. It suits cool temperate gardens through to subtropical ones. In hot inland gardens give it a little afternoon shade and steady moisture.

Soil. Wet or poorly drained soil is no problem, which is exactly where it earns its place. In ordinary garden soil, work in compost and mulch well to hold moisture around the roots.

Water and feed. Never let it dry out: this is a plant for constant moisture, not for dry beds. Apply a slow release fertiliser once a year in spring.

Pruning. Almost none. If the foliage looks tired, clip the whole clump over once a year in late winter and it refreshes with clean new leaves.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Variegatus Sweet Flag as tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of 10 and 200mm pots in packs of 6. Tube stock is a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, and it is the practical way to fill a long edge. The potted packs arrive with more growth already made.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. When the grower has none, the tube shows as sold out on this page, and the notify button emails you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Best pond plants for Australian gardens
• Grasses and strappy leaf plants
• Frost hardy plants for cold gardens
• Plants that suit mass planting

Common questions

Can I grow it in a pond?

It suits the margins of ponds and creeks and bog gardens, and it is even grown in cold water ponds. Plant it at the edge with its roots in wet soil or shallow water.

Will it cope with dry soil?

No. It wants constant moisture, and in a dry bed the leaf tips brown and the clump thins. Keep it for damp spots, or for pots that you water often.

How big does it get, and how fast?

About 30cm high and up to 50cm wide. It is a neat, slowly filling clump rather than a quick spreader.