# lizard's tail (*Saururus cernuus*) Lizard's tail is a unique plant with long, green leaves that look like a lizard's tail! It grows in wet places and has pretty white flowers that bloom in the summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 30 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![lizard's tail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Saururus_cernuus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South Natio, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saururus_cernuus.jpg) ## Appearance The lizard's tail has heart-shaped, vibrant green leaves and distinctive, slender white flower spikes that often droop or nod at the tip. These fuzzy 'tails' can be quite fragrant and resemble a lizard's tail, giving the plant its common name. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Piperales - **Family:** Saururaceae - **Genus:** Saururus ## Interesting facts - Its unique flower spike actually looks and feels like a soft, fuzzy white pipe cleaner! - Native Americans used its leaves to make soothing poultices for aches and skin irritations. - The young leaves and rhizomes are edible, adding a peppery and spicy taste to dishes! - This plant is a 'living fossil', with relatives found across the globe in East Asia! ## Special abilities - **Water Purifier:** Lizard's tail can absorb heavy metals like lead from wetland soil, helping to clean its watery home. - **Colonization King:** Lizard's tail has creeping rhizomes that help it spread quickly, forming dense colonies in wet environments. - **Flood Fighter:** Lizard's tail can survive in waterlogged soil and even shallow standing water, thriving where many plants drown. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 60-120 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 10-20 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — provides nectar and pollen for foraging bees - **Eats:** mallard duck (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — ducks sometimes graze on its leaves and seeds - **Shelter:** green tree frog (*Hyla cinerea*) — dense foliage offers cover for amphibians - **Shelter:** Ohio river shrimp (*Macrobrachium ohione*) — provides shelter in submerged root masses ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify lizard's tail? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is lizard's tail? 60-120 cm ### How wide does lizard's tail spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on lizard's tail? 10-20 cm ### When does lizard's tail bloom? Summer ### Is lizard's tail edible? Yes ### Is lizard's tail toxic? None ### What is lizard's tail's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-creek-cypress-swamp-sanctuary) — Maryland, US · Nature Reserve - [Central Park West Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-park-west-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [East 73rd Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-73rd-street-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-st-jean-baptiste-state-historic-site) — Louisiana, US · Nature Reserve - [Harriman Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harriman-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Jumel Terrace Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jumel-terrace-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District [View all places to see lizard's tail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/lizards-tail) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Lizard's Tail: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lizards-tail)