Acorus americanus
SWEET FLAG
- Hardy perennial, swamp or bog plant
- Foliage and rhizomes have a sweet citrus scent when bruised or cut
- Wheat-like flowers
HEIGHT: 60-90 cm · SPREAD: 70-90 cm
Acorus calamus 'Variegatus'
VARIEGATED SWEET FLAG
- Forms an upright, vase-shaped clump of iris-like green and white variegated leaves
- Adds a nice feature to the semi-aquatic garden
- Foliage and rhizomes emit a spicy scent when crushed or bruised
HEIGHT: 50-60 cm · SPREAD: 45-60 cm
Alisma plantago-aquatica
BROADLEAF WATER PLANTAIN
- Airy, white flowers
- Clump-forming perennial with hairless plantain-like foliage emerging in early spring
- Foliage stands 60 cm above the waterline
HEIGHT: 60-70 cm · SPREAD: 30-50 cm
Alnus rugosa
SPECKLED ALDER
- Pyramidal to oval growth habit
- Noted for its speckled bark
- Oval to rounded leaves, margins uneven and double-toothed
HEIGHT: 13-15 m · SPREAD: 8-10 m
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Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'
CINDERELLA SWAMP MILKWEED
- Rose pink flowers
- Bloom time Midsummer-Fall
- Clumping perennial by small rhizomes
HEIGHT: 90-150 cm · SPREAD: 30-90 cm
Caltha palustris
MARSH MARIGOLD
- AKA Caltha polypetala
- Numerous, waxy, yellow, buttercup-like flowers
- Kidney-shaped, glossy, dark green leaves, up to 10 cm long, form low mounds
HEIGHT: 30-40 cm · SPREAD: 30-40 cm
Carex comosa
BRISTLY SEDGE
- Tuft-forming sedge with an upright cascading habit
- Leaves are green, about 6 mm wide, triangular in cross section
- Seed heads droop downward, in clumps of 2-6 spikelets, up to 8 cm long, May through July
HEIGHT: 100-125 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Carex elata 'Aurea'
BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE
- AKA Carex stricta 'Aurea'
- Forms a clump of graceful arching fine foliage
- Fine leaf blades are bright golden-yellow with narrow green margins
HEIGHT: 60-80 cm · SPREAD: 30-40 cm
Carex lacustris
HAIRY SEDGE
- A.K.A Carex riparia
- Large upright grass with leaves and seeds growing off the same stem
- Stems are bluish-green, triangular in cross section
HEIGHT: 100-125 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Carex pseudocyperus
CYPRESS SEDGE
- Tuft-forming grass with an upright, cascading habit
- Leaves are yellow-green, about 6 mm wide and triangular in cross section
- Spikes of tiny green or brown flowers
HEIGHT: 60-90 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Carex stipata
AWL FRUITED SEDGE
- Tuft-forming sedge with an upright, cascading habit
- Leaves are green, about 6 mm wide, triangular in cross section
- Brownish-green flower heads look like bushy foxtails
HEIGHT: 90-125 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Carex stricta
TUSSOCK SEDGE
- AKA Carex elata
- Slender upright sedge with leaves and seeds growing off the same stems
- Stems are bluish-green, triangular in cross section
HEIGHT: 60-90 cm · SPREAD: 30-50 cm
Carex vulpinoidea
FOX SEDGE
- Slender upright, slightly arching sedge common to Ontario's wetlands
- Stems are bluish-green, triangular in cross-section
- Seed heads, at same height as the leaves, resemble a fox's tail
HEIGHT: 50-90 cm · SPREAD: 40-50 cm
Cephalanthus occidentalis
BUTTONBUSH
- Spherical clusters of white florets
- Green nutlets turn brown in the fall and persist into the winter
- Glossy foliage emerges in late spring
HEIGHT: 175-200 cm · SPREAD: 175-200 cm
Eleocharis obtusa
BLUNT SPIKERUSH
- A clumping rush with slender dark green cylindrical stems
- Each stem is topped with a small dark brown oblong flower spike
- Small narrow leaves are sometimes present near the base of the plant
HEIGHT: 20-40 cm · SPREAD: 20-25 cm
Eleocharis palustris
COMMON SPIKERUSH
- Narrow dark green round stems spread by rhizomatous roots
- A dark reddish-purple sheath surrounds the base of the stems
- Each stem features a small dark brown oblong flower spike
HEIGHT: 25-100 cm · SPREAD: 50-150 cm
Equisetum fluviatile
RIVER HORSETAIL
- Forms dense colonies in shallow water or ponds
- Tall erect dark green smooth stems sport fine ridges
- At each joint, the stem has a whorl of tiny black-tipped scale leaves
HEIGHT: 60-75 cm · SPREAD: 60-70 cm
Equisetum hyemale
SCOURING RUSH
- Rigid hollow bamboo-like stems
- Dark green with black banding at joints
- Produces small brown cone-like stem tips in the summer
HEIGHT: 60-100 cm · SPREAD: 100-200 cm
Glyceria maxima var. 'Variegata'
VARIEGATED MANNAGRASS
- A.K.A. Glyceria aquatica 'Variegata', Glyceria spectabilis 'Variegata'
- Loose upright clump of pendulous blades
- Strap-shaped leaves are striped with cream and sometimes tinged with pink
HEIGHT: 60-90 cm · SPREAD: 45-60 cm
Glyceria striata
FOWL MANNAGRASS
- AKA: Glyceria striata ssp. stricta, Panicularia nervata, Panicularia striata
- Forms an upright clump of coarse green leaves 25 cm long arranged alternately along sturdy stems
- Pyramidal airy panicles rise on slender stems above the foliage
HEIGHT: 60-110 cm · SPREAD: 40-60 cm
Iris ensata 'Harlequinesque'
JAPANESE IRIS
- AKA Iris kaempferi 'Harlequinesque'
- Single white with fuchsia and blue speckles, yellow flame in the throat and a white centre
- Bright green sword-like leaves with prominent centre ribs, 3-4 cm wide
HEIGHT: 80-100 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Iris pseudacorus
YELLOW FLAG IRIS
- AKA Iris lutea
- Bright yellow flowers
- Brown markings at the base of each yellow petal
HEIGHT: 125-150 cm · SPREAD: 70-90 cm
Iris pseudacorus 'Variegata'
VARIEGATED YELLOW FLAG IRIS
- AKA Iris lutea 'Variegata'
- Bright yellow flowers
- Brown markings at the base of each yellow petal
HEIGHT: 80-100 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Iris versicolor
BLUE FLAG IRIS
- Narrow-petaled lavender-blue flowers with creamy-yellow throats
- Falls have deep purple veining with lighter blue standards
- Bright green sword-like foliage
HEIGHT: 60-90 cm · SPREAD: 60-75 cm
Iris virginica
PALE BLUE FLAG IRIS
- Narrow petalled pale blue flowers with creamy-yellow throats
- Standards are larger and longer than Iris versicolor
- Upright slender blades of bright green
HEIGHT: 60-90 cm · SPREAD: 60-80 cm
Juncus effusus
SOFT RUSH
- Forms an upright vase-shaped clump of single stalks
- Thin dark green cylindrical stems look stiff but are soft to the touch
- Flowers emerge in small clusters from a split in the stems, slightly below the tips of the plant
HEIGHT: 90-120 cm · SPREAD: 50-80 cm
Juncus effusus f. spiralis
CORKSCREW RUSH
- Forms an irregular mound of curling, twisted, cylindrical stems
- Thin dark green stems look stiff but are soft to the touch
- Flowers emerge in small clusters from a split in the stems, slightly below the tips of the plant
HEIGHT: 30-50 cm · SPREAD: 30-45 cm
Juncus inflexus (glaucus)
HARD RUSH
- AKA Juncus glaucus
- Forms an upright clump of narrow cylindrical blue-green foliage
- Flowers emerge in small clusters from a split in the stem, slightly below the tips of the plant
HEIGHT: 60-120 cm · SPREAD: 40-60 cm
Mimulus ringens
MONKEY FLOWER
- AKA Diplacus ringens
- Lilac-purple tubular two-lipped flowers
- Individual flowers develop from the leaf axils of the upper stems
HEIGHT: 75-85 cm · SPREAD: 40-50 cm
Myrica gale
SWEET GALE
- AKA Myrica palustris
- Upright, oval habit
- Waxy yellow catkins appear before the leaves
HEIGHT: 100-125 cm · SPREAD: 80-100 cm
Osmunda regalis
ROYAL FERN
- Unique widely spaced oblong leaflets with a distinct central vein
- Pale green leaves in sunlight
- Deeper green in shade with reddish stems
HEIGHT: 90-150 cm · SPREAD: 60-90 cm
Peltandra virginica
GREEN ARROW ARUM
- AKA Peltandra undulata
- Tiny greenish-white flowers hidden by 20 cm spathes
- Flowers followed by green berries in late summer
HEIGHT: 50-75 cm · SPREAD: 50-60 cm
Persicaria amphibia
WATER KNOTWEED
- AKA Polygonum amphibium
- Habitat includes shallow waters along lakes, ponds, ditches
- Adaptable to short periods of drought
HEIGHT: 30-125 cm · SPREAD: 0-0 cm
Pontederia cordata
PICKERELWEED
- Aquatic perennial with glossy green heart-shaped basal leaves
- Unbranched smooth flower stalks
- Violet-blue hyacinth-like flowers appear in closely packed terminal spikes
HEIGHT: 40-50 cm · SPREAD: 60-80 cm
Sagittaria graminea
GRASS LEAF ARROWHEAD
- Upright, rhizomatous spreader
- Narrow long arrow-head-shaped mid-green foliage
- Grows approximately 60 cm above water level
HEIGHT: 50-60 cm · SPREAD: 20-30 cm
Sagittaria latifolia
ARROWHEAD
- Upright aquatic perennial
- Long narrow chevron-shaped mid-green leaves
- Grows approximately 60 cm above water level
HEIGHT: 30-60 cm · SPREAD: 100 cm
Salix exigua
SANDBAR WILLOW
- AKA Salix interior
- Yellowish-green catkins
- Narrow silvery-gray leaves
HEIGHT: 3-4 m · SPREAD: 5-6 m
Saururus cernuus
LIZARD'S TAIL
- Rhizomatous marginal aquatic perennial
- Naturally found in swamps or slow-moving rivers and ponds
- Heart-shaped leaves are smooth and wavy on zig-zagged stems
HEIGHT: 50-90 cm
Scirpus acutus
HARD STEM BULRUSH
- AKA: Schoenoplectus acutus var. occidentalis
- Scirpus are not grasses, they are perennial sedges
- Upright cylindrical gray-green stems have 3 to 4 slender sheathed leaves at the base
HEIGHT: 100-175 cm · SPREAD: 50-100 cm
Scirpus atrovirens
DARK GREEN BULRUSH
- Scirpus are not grasses, they are perennial sedges
- Forms an open upright clump of dark green leaves branching from the main stems
- Dark green culms, reaching 125 cm, develop clusters of inflorescences
HEIGHT: 90-125 cm · SPREAD: 90-125 cm
Scirpus cyperinus
WOOL GRASS
- Scirpus are not grasses, they are perennial sedges
- Forms short tufts of grass-like blades
- Flowers rise above the foliage on narrow upright stems
HEIGHT: 100-150 cm · SPREAD: 90-125 cm
Scirpus fluviatilis
RIVER BULRUSH
- AKA Bolboschoenus fluviatilis
- Scirpus are not grasses, they are perennial sedges
- Forms short tufts of grass-like blades
HEIGHT: 30-60 cm · SPREAD: 30-40 cm
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Scirpus microcarpus
SMALL-FRUITED BULRUSH
- Found across North America in wet areas such as marshes, swamps and meadows
- Grass like leaves sprout from the base and along the stem
- Leaf bases are tinged reddish purple where they clasp the stem
HEIGHT: 60-150 cm · SPREAD: 30-60 cm
Scirpus pungens
COMMON THREE SQUARE
- AKA: Schoenoplectus pungens, Scirpus americanus
- Scirpus are not grasses, they are perennial sedges
- Triangular stems bear few blades up to 25 cm long
HEIGHT: 100-175 cm · SPREAD: 75-125 cm
Scirpus validus
SOFTSTEM BULRUSH
- AKA: Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
- Scirpus are not grasses, they are perennial sedges
- Dark green spongy stems, up to 2 cm thick, are rounded-edged and triangular in cross-section
HEIGHT: 175-250 cm · SPREAD: 100-120 cm
Taxodium distichum
COMMON BALD CYPRESS
- Deciduous conifer
- Upright pyramidal with nearly horizontal branching
- Soft feathery flat needles green in the summer
HEIGHT: 15-25 m · SPREAD: 7-10 m
Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls' (PP12296)
CASCADE FALLS BALD CYPRESS
- Deciduous conifer
- Typically top-grafted, with a compact weeping crown
- Branches grow outward from the stem, then drop vertically to the ground
HEIGHT: 175-250 cm · SPREAD: 125-200 cm
Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret'
PEVE MINARET BALD CYPRESS
- Deciduous conifer
- Upright pyramidal form dense with sharply ascending branches
- Soft fern-like flat needles green in the summer
HEIGHT: 175-250 cm · SPREAD: 100-125 cm
Typha angustifolia
NARROWLEAF CATTAIL
- Clumping spreading stands of narrow sword-like leaves
- Central flower stalks are equal to the height of the leaves
- Male and female flowers are held separately
HEIGHT: 175-200 cm · SPREAD: 200-500 cm
Typha latifolia
BROADLEAF CATTAIL
- Clumping spreading stands of sword-like leaves
- Central flower stalks, equal to the height of the leaves, hold male and female flowers
- Cylindrical flowers turn brown after fertilization
HEIGHT: 125-200 cm · SPREAD: 200-500 cm
Typha latifolia 'Variegata'
VARIEGATED CATTAIL
- Clumping spreading stands of sword-like leaves have creamy-white centre stripes
- Central flower stalks are equal to the height of the leaves and hold male and female flowers
- Cylindrical flowers turn brown after fertilization
HEIGHT: 120-150 cm · SPREAD: 120-150 cm
Typha laxmannii
DWARF CATTAIL / GRACEFUL CATTAIL
- Clumping, spreading stands of narrow sword-like leaves
- Central flower stalks equal to the height of the leaves
- Male and female flowers are held separately
HEIGHT: 100-150 cm · SPREAD: 200-500 cm