Sweet flag is a wetland species in the arum family resembling cattails or sweet flag iris, with narrow, rigid leaves up to three feet tall. This is a shorter variety, topping out at about two feet. The leaves have ridges and the bases have a red tinge. The flower is a curious little yellow-green spike (called a “spadix”). It shoots out at an angle from a stem that looks the same as the leaves. It appears in early summer and may not even be noticeable among the leaves. The rhizomes have a sweet fragrance when crushed and have been used in folk medicine.