PlantFiles: Lizard's Tail, Water Dragon, Lizard Tail
Saururus cernuus

I love this plant! I have a clump of these growing amongst the fern in a damp part of my yard, near my natural spring. It grows in filtered sunlight & has very attractive flowers and leaves. Easy to grow, and very hardy. This is a native plant which came up on it's own.

I think some folks are confusing this plant with "Gooseneck Loosestrife" or Lysimachia clethroides. I can't say if they are in the same family, I've only grown the Loosestrife. Hope this helps!

I have something that looks just like this but I was told it was "Goosenecks".... are they the same? It has run rampant over a few years, and this year I have to start digging it up as soon as it appears. Very pretty, but really takes over.

Almost impossible to get rid of once you plant it. I had it in a bog adjacent to my pond where it was beyond aggressive, overrunning Pickerel Weed, elephant ear and Louisiana iris.

The operative comment in the description of this plant is "can be aggressive". In my view it is a mildly attractive addition that should be grown in a container.

Hardy plant, that is a vigorous grower. If your in to butterfly gardening this plant is also attractive to catipillars. My plant is often defoliated as the larvae consume all of the leaves. Plant grows back just fine.

I have the Saururus cernuus pictured and also have a similar one sold to me at a south central Pennsylvania garden center as "red-stemmed lizard's tail".
I wonder if the red-stemmed variety is native to the US or not? My observation is that the red-stemmed plant is more vigorous or aggressive depending on your outlook. Both are growing in a lined garden pond.

Lizard's Tail is a Texas Native Bog plant. Blooms April-August, perennial up to 36 inches high.

This plant came up on its own, and started blooming in early May.

It is a very attractive plant, and it gets full sun. Still going strong after a month.

It's a biennial from seed.
We've had great luck w/ seed collecting and divisions.
A definite MUST for water gardens.
Ours has an earlier bloom time than listed above.
It opened today, last day of Spring.

Plant grows very well in the alkaly west and can provide bloom untill the frost kills top growth in late fall. It has performed well in gardens and ponds of mine in northen and southern parts of the state. Grow in pots in a pond, or in perminent locations in bog or waters edge. Makes a striking cascade down the side of a waterfall.

Lizard's Tail is a native to the Eastern half of the U.S. It blooms in the shade, a rare trait among water plants. Very easy to grow, it thrives on the edges of shallow water or in a boggy setting. Plant the fleshy rhizomes no more than 6" deep in a pond.

Blooms in white curving racemes (hence its whimsical name) in early summer. Second year to grow this plant, and I'm very happy with its performance.