Lizard’s Tail: A Unique Native Wetland Beauty for Your Garden
If you’re looking for a conversation starter in your garden, meet lizard’s tail (Saururus cernuus) – a quirky native perennial that’s sure to make visitors do a double-take. With its distinctive drooping white flower spikes that really do resemble a lizard’s tail, this wetland wonder brings both charm and ecological value to the right garden setting.
What Makes Lizard’s Tail Special
Lizard’s tail is a native North American perennial forb that stands out in the plant world. Unlike woody shrubs or trees, this herbaceous plant lacks significant woody tissue and dies back to ground level each winter, only to emerge fresh and vigorous each spring. Its most striking feature is undoubtedly its curved, white flower spike that droops gracefully like its namesake reptile’s appendage.
The plant produces heart-shaped leaves that create an attractive backdrop for the unusual flowers, and it tends to form spreading colonies over time, making it excellent for naturalizing larger areas.
Where Lizard’s Tail Calls Home
This native beauty has quite an impressive range across North America. You’ll find lizard’s tail growing naturally throughout much of the eastern United States, from the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec down to the Gulf Coast states. Its distribution includes Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Wetland Connection
Here’s something crucial to know about lizard’s tail: it’s what botanists call an obligate wetland plant across all regions where it grows. This means it almost always occurs in wetlands and requires consistently moist to wet conditions to thrive. Don’t expect this plant to tolerate dry spells – it’s happiest with its feet wet!
Perfect Garden Settings
Given its wetland requirements, lizard’s tail shines in specific garden situations:
- Rain gardens and bioswales
- Bog gardens and wetland areas
- Pond margins and stream banks
- Native plant gardens with water features
- Naturalized wetland restoration projects
This isn’t a plant for traditional perennial borders or dry garden settings, but if you have a wet area that needs beautifying, lizard’s tail could be your answer.
Growing Conditions and Care
Successful lizard’s tail cultivation is all about matching its natural wetland habitat:
Light: Full sun to partial shade (though flowering may be reduced in heavy shade)
Soil: Consistently moist to wet, boggy conditions. The plant tolerates various soil types as long as moisture levels remain high.
Hardiness: Thrives in USDA zones 4-9, making it suitable for most temperate regions
Maintenance: This is refreshingly low-maintenance once established in appropriate conditions. The plant spreads naturally by underground rhizomes, so give it room to roam or be prepared to divide it occasionally.
Planting Tips
Spring is the ideal time to plant lizard’s tail. Since it spreads by rhizomes, you can start with just a few plants and watch them naturally colonize the area over time. Space plants about 18-24 inches apart initially – they’ll fill in the gaps on their own.
If you’re creating a wetland garden from scratch, ensure consistent water availability through irrigation or natural drainage patterns. The plant will struggle and likely fail in locations that dry out regularly.
Wildlife and Pollinator Value
Like many native plants, lizard’s tail supports local ecosystems. The unusual flowers attract various insects, including flies, small bees, and beetles. While it may not be the showiest pollinator plant in your garden, it contributes to the overall biodiversity that healthy ecosystems depend on.
Is Lizard’s Tail Right for Your Garden?
Consider lizard’s tail if you:
- Have consistently wet or boggy areas to plant
- Want to create habitat for native wildlife
- Enjoy unique, conversation-starting plants
- Are working on wetland restoration or rain garden projects
- Prefer low-maintenance native plants
Skip this plant if you:
- Have only dry or well-drained garden areas
- Can’t provide consistent moisture
- Prefer formal, controlled garden designs (it can spread enthusiastically)
- Want showy, colorful flowers (the appeal here is more subtle)
Lizard’s tail might not win any beauty contests in the traditional sense, but for the right garden situation, it offers distinctive charm and valuable ecological benefits. If you’ve got the wet conditions it craves, this native oddball might just become one of your favorite garden characters.
