Acorus gramineus Hakuro-nishiki

Acorus gramineus 'Hakuro-nishiki' is a variety of miniature Acorus with bright foliage, ideal for illuminating dark areas. It forms a fan-shaped clump composed of fine and elegant foliage, glossy, variegated green and yellow, with a golden appearance. Semi-aquatic, often used for ornamental purposes around water features, this semi-evergreen perennial, similar to a grass, offers dense and decorative foliage for most of the year. It can be grown in damp soil or with the stump submerged under 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) of water. Acorus is perfect for stabilizing banks and embellishing small ponds.

Acorus gramineus 'Hakuro-nishiki' is a plant from the Acoraceae family. Its wild ancestor is native to Japan, Korea, and Eastern Asia. From the slightly trailing stump emerge leaves reminiscent of iris leaves, but narrower, leathery, thick, glossy, with golden reflections. It has an aromatic fragrance when crushed, with a pleasant aniseed scent and a hint of liquorice. The rhizomes, used in traditional Japanese medicine, are also fragrant: their scent more clearly resembles that of liquorice. This slow-growing perennial plant is not invasive. 'Hakuro-nishiki' is a well-established variety, forming a spreading clump 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) tall and 20cm (8in) wide. The greenish flowers are almost invisible, clustered in a short spadix and appear at the beginning of summer.

This Japanese Rush complements Japanese irises, Asian primroses or willowherbs on the banks of a pond. Similarly, you can also plant it in a trough or in a garden with particularly heavy and moist soil. We have planted a variegated Acorus gramineus variety in one of our ponds where its semi-evergreen foliage is very useful, as it must be recognized that most bankside plants disappear in winter. Acorus gramineus is reputed to be non-hardy, but it has been outside for over 20 years and does not suffer from the cold. In regions with cold winters, it is preferable to overwinter it in a cold greenhouse or in a well-ventilated and bright place, protected from frost, while keeping the soil always moist.