Lizard’s Tail (Saururus cernuus)

Lizards Tail | Saururus cernuus

Unique fragrant pond plant with nodding white flowers for margins and wildlife ponds

Lizards Tail, botanically known as Saururus cernuus, is a truly distinctive marginal pond plant that brings something a little different to your water garden. Known for its unusual, gently arching white flower spikes and heart shaped aromatic foliage, this plant creates a natural, relaxed look that works beautifully in wildlife ponds and informal planting schemes.

Flowering from June through to August, Lizards Tail produces elegant, creamy white flower spikes that curve gracefully downward, giving the plant its characteristic “tail like” appearance. These blooms are lightly fragrant and stand out beautifully against the lush green leaves, adding both movement and interest to pond edges.

The foliage is just as appealing as the flowers. Its broad, heart shaped leaves have a soft, slightly aromatic quality and provide excellent ground level coverage. This dense growth makes Lizards Tail particularly valuable for wildlife ponds, offering shelter for amphibians such as frogs and newts, as well as protection for tadpoles and other aquatic life.

This plant thrives in consistently moist soil or shallow water up to around 15 to 20 cm deep, making it perfect for marginal shelves, bog gardens, and damp borders. It performs well in full sun but is equally happy in partial shade, giving you flexibility when designing your planting scheme.

Lizards Tail spreads via rhizomes to form attractive clumps over time, helping to soften hard pond edges and create a more natural, established look. It is not overly aggressive, but occasional dividing will keep it looking its best and prevent overcrowding.

Fully hardy in UK conditions, this is a reliable, low maintenance plant that will return year after year. Whether you are creating a wildlife pond, a naturalistic water feature, or simply want something a bit more unusual, Lizards Tail is an excellent choice that combines visual interest with real ecological value.

🇬🇧 UK-grown aquatic plant: Grown at a dedicated aquatic plant nursery in the South of England and carefully prepared for delivery across the UK.

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Key Benefits

• Unique nodding white flower spikes for visual interest
• Lightly fragrant blooms and aromatic foliage
• Excellent for wildlife ponds and amphibian habitats
• Provides shelter for frogs, newts, and pond life
• Ideal for marginal shelves and boggy areas
• Hardy and reliable in UK conditions

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Reasons to Buy

• Adds something different to your pond planting
• Perfect for natural and wildlife friendly designs
• Long lasting summer interest
• Easy to grow and low maintenance
• Suitable for sun or partial shade

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Care Instructions

• Plant on a marginal shelf or in damp soil at a depth of 0 cm to 20 cm.
• Position in full sun or partial shade depending on your pond layout.
• Keep soil consistently moist or submerged for best results.
• Trim back spent flower spikes after blooming to maintain appearance.
• Allow foliage to die back naturally in autumn.
• Divide clumps every few years in early spring to maintain healthy growth.

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Flowering Period

June to August

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Size and Growing Conditions

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Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Lizard’s Tail will be carefully packed to protect the foliage and roots during transit.

Orders received by 11am Monday to Wednesday are normally dispatched on the following working day using a next working day courier service. During busy periods, dispatch may occasionally take an extra day.

To avoid plants being held in depots over a weekend, we do not usually dispatch on Fridays. Highlands and Islands orders using a two day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available basket sizes:

• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots
• 1 Litre Basket – usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square; some varieties may be supplied in a 14cm diameter × 10cm round basket
• Pack of 3 × 1 Litre Baskets – each usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square
• 3 Litre Hexagonal Basket – 18 × 18 × 16cm

Planting depth is measured from the top of the aquatic basket to the water surface.

Plants supplied in 9cm pots require potting into suitable aquatic baskets before being placed in the pond.

Finofil baskets are manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable. Their fine dual-mesh construction helps retain aquatic soil while allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Basket shape may vary slightly depending on the plant and supplier availability.

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Similar pond plants

For another pond-edge planting option, compare Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’) and Loosestrife ‘Robert’ (Lythrum salicaria ‘Robert’).

Explore more marginal pond plants or browse our complete pond plants range. Need baskets, aquatic soil or planting essentials? Browse our pond plant baskets and aquatic planting supplies.