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American Sweet flag

(Acorus calmus)

Other Names:

Acorus americanus, sweetflag

Range:

Family:

Acoraceae - Aroids Family

Growth Type:

Aquatic perennial

Height:

Up to 5' tall

Leaves:

Erect blade shaped leaves which bear a superficial resemblance to those of cattail. The bright green leaves fan out from a central point which is most often pink. The leaves have parallel veins and a prominent midrib that is noticeably off center. A cross section of the leaf shows the midrib to be swollen. This gives them even more of a swordlike appearance. When a leaf is cut or crushed it will often release a sweet citrus like scent.

Stem/Trunk:

The stem, or scape, appears to resemble a leaf, but that is only superficial. Upon closer examination the stem is triangular in cross section.

Root:

Thick creeping rhizomes. The exteriors are brownish in color, but the fleshy interior is white.

Flower Season:

May to July

Flower Appearance:

From the flower stem, or scape, a long erect bract grows. A single, cylindrical 2 to 4-inch flower spike angles upward from the union of the stem and the bract. The slightly curved flower spike is crowded with small yellowish-green to brown flowers

Seed/Fruit:

The fruit is a berry filled with mucus, which when ripe falls into the water and disperses by floating. Most often though, propagation occurs through the spreading rhizomes.

Miscellaneous characteristics:

N/A

Habitat:

Wetlands that receive full sun including wet soils and shallow water ditches, marshes, river edges, and ponds.

Parts Used:

Young shoot, rhizome

Culinary Uses:

Like cattails, the young stalks can be pulled when they are young. Typically these are about a foot tall. These inner stems can be eaten raw. The roots can be washed, peeled, cut into small pieces, boiled, and simmered in syrup to make candy.

The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.

Energetics

Taste: Pungent/Bitter
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

Acorus calamus (Sweet flag) has a long history of use and has numerous traditional and ethnomedicinal applications. Since ancient times, it has been used in various systems of medicines such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Chinese medicine, etc. for the treatment of various aliments like nervous disorders, anorexia, appetite loss, bronchitis, chest pain, colic, cramps, diarrhea, digestive disorders, flatulence, gas, indigestion, rheumatism, sedative, cough, fever, bronchitis, inflammation, depression, tumors, hemorrhoids, skin diseases, numbness, general debility and vascular disorders. In Thailand they use shampoo made from this plant to treat head lice. Various therapeutic potentials of this plant have been attributed to its rhizome.

From Cook's Physio-Medical Dispensatory:
The root is stimulating and moderately relaxing, and quite pungent. It is called aromatic. It is rather pleasant to the taste; warms the stomach, aids the expulsion of flatus, and relieves cramps and colic. It is used in purely atonic dyspepsia; but its most common employment is as an adjuvant to preparations in which a carminative agent is desirable. It can easily be misused by giving it too freely, or in irritable conditions of the stomach and bowels. It may be eaten or boiled in milk with pimento or ginger.

Usage Indications:

Angina, Anorexia, Bronchitis, Colic, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Gastric Ulcers, Hemorrhoids, Indigestion, Inflammation, Nervous Disorders, Pediculosis, Rheumatism, Skin Diseases, Tumors, Vascular Disorders

Indications Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

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Cautions According To WebMD

Contra-Indications
None Known

Possible Side Effects:
None Known

Possible Interactions:
None Known

Medicinal Actions:

Herbal Preparations For Acorus americanus

Decoction

Part Used: Rhizome
Plant State: Fresh or Dried
Place 2 ounces of fresh, or 1 ounce of dried rhizome into a pan. Add 1 quart of water, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat, stirring periodically, until reduced by half. Cool the mixture, and strain and drink.
Dosage: 1-3 oz three times daily as needed

Tincture

Part Used: Rhizome/Root
Plant State: Fresh
Alcohol Percentage: 80%
Plant to Alcohol Ratio: 1:2
Label a quart mason jar with the plant name, the part of the plant used, the percentage of alcohol used, and the date the tincture was started.

Fill the jar to the neck with chopped fresh rhizome, then pour in 750 ml of 100 proof vodka, or 500 ml of 160 proof Everclear (or the highest alcohol percentage you have available to you). Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for another 3 weeks. After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out the spent marc. Your tincture will remain viable for 2-3 years.
Dosage: 40-80 drops up to three times daily

Tincture

Part Used: Rhizome/Root
Plant State: Dried
Alcohol Percentage: 80%
Plant to Alcohol Ratio: 1:5
Label a quart mason jar with the plant name, the part of the plant used, the percentage of alcohol used, and the date the tincture was started.

Fill the jar to the neck with chopped fresh rhizome, then pour in 750 ml of 100 proof vodka, or 500 ml of 160 proof Everclear (or the highest alcohol percentage you have available to you). Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for another 3 weeks. After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out the spent marc. Your tincture will remain viable for 2-3 years.
Dosage: 40-80 drops up to three times daily