Native Species Profile - Lizard Tail

Not many wildflowers have names that have an obvious origin to the modern person.  Mad Dog Skullcap?  Squirrel Corn?  Motherwort?  Dogbane?

Sometimes though the name of a plant is delightfully simple and obvious.  One of my favorite plants is the Lizard Tail (Saururus cernuus).

Lizard Tail

Lizard Tail is a 2 to 5 foot tall aquatic perennial plant.  It grows in shallow, still or slow moving water in marshes, swamps, ponds, wet woodlands, streams, and rivers.  It's flower spikes are up to 6 inches long.  It blooms from June to September.

A large colony of Lizard Tail in the Shiawassee River, Owosso, MI

A closer view of the colony

Close-up of bloom

Basic Information

Lizard Tail
Saururus cernuus

Habitat:  shallow water, marshes, swamps, ponds, streams, rivers

Height:  2 to 5 foot

Flower Color:  White

Bloom Time:  June to September