What is this plant?

[JenH]

Can anyone tell me what this plant is? It was given to me by a friend she said she though it was a grass but had no idea what it is....The root system seemed very similar to water lilies, it seemed to have something like a tuber or giant rhizome.

 

[addy1]

almost looks like an iris are the leaves flat?

 

[sissy]

looks like an iris .Could be a form of cattail the mini version also but don't think so .I have never seen a small cattail only bigger ones

 

[addy1]

The mini cat tails have rounded stems/leaves.

 

[sissy]

The ones i got have flatter stems and wonder if there are different kinds .You can see them on the pic .They are the ones i took out of the abandoned pond i took out .

 

[j.w]

I'm thinking Iris also.

 

[HARO]

If not iris, then sweet flag (acorus spp),
John

 

[JenH]

They do have flat leaves. My friend didn't mention that these were flowers though, she only said they were a grass, but then again this pond was her mom's, so maybe she had just never noticed. Hopefully they do ok, since I divided them up. None of my repotted plants seem to be actively growing yet since I did the repotting. Thanks for your help.

 

[JenH]

Could it be sweet flag grass in zone 5? I did a quick search and seems that stuff isn't hardy in our climate?

 

[HARO]

Sweet flag does flower, but the bloom is green, two inches long, about as big around as a pencil, and most people never even notice it. And as for hardiness, I have the variegated variety and it comes back every spring for about twelve years now. (Zone 5). Four or five years ago while re-potting I left a clump in a five-gallon pail and forgot about it, and it's still growing in the same container! You can easily identify acorus; crush a leaf and it will smell like cinnamon.
John