Lizard’s-tail

Saururus cernuus

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Parapamea buffaloensis (Buffalo Moth)
S14 Noctuidae, host on Saururus cernuus; S10 larvae feed on roots

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 in Ontario and S2 in Quebec (NatureServe national rank N3, global G5). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Quebec populations are concentrated in the Montreal-Laval lowlands along the Riviere des Mille-Iles and lac des Deux-Montagnes area; Ontario populations cluster near the Castor River east of Ottawa and along Lake Erie tributaries. The species reaches the northern limit of its continental range in southern Ontario and Quebec.
S22 N3/G5, S3-ON, S2-QC; S26 not SARA listed; S54 QC specimen localities; S48 ON specimen localities
Rarity Ranks: QC S2 – Imperiled, ON S3 – Vulnerable
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Lizard's-tail occupies shallow-water margins, floodplain swamps, and muddy stream banks across eastern North America. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it is at the northern edge of its range and ranked S3 in Ontario and S2 in Quebec. GBIF specimens from Riviere des Mille-Iles and the Castor River confirm its association with alluvial clay substrates and slow-moving waterways alongside Acer saccharinum, Fraxinus nigra, and Pontederia cordata.
S22 S3-ON, S2-QC; S48 specimen habitats; S7 swamps and floodplains; S10 floodplain and bottomland woodlands

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Living Mulch
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Living Mulch: S10 keyword match: forms? colon(?:y|ies) (supporting signal only)]
Notes: Lizard's-tail functions as a vigorous spreading groundcover for wet to saturated soils. PFAF recommends it for pond margins, bog gardens, and dappled woodland edges. Its rhizomatous growth forms dense stands that stabilize muddy banks and suppress competitive weeds. Pair with other OBL species in rain gardens or constructed wetlands; site away from slower-growing companions it may overtop.
S29 pond/bog garden; S4 spreading groundcover for moist soils; S10 forms dense colonies

Category: Dermatological Aid, Poultice, Antirheumatic, Gastrointestinal Aid, Febrifuge, Emetic, Sedative
S28 Cherokee/Choctaw/Ojibwa/Seminole uses; S29 Antirheumatic, Poultice, Sedative, Stomachic
Notes: Multiple Indigenous nations used this species medicinally. Cherokee and Choctaw applied roasted, mashed root poultices to wounds and sore breasts. Ojibwa used an infusion of pounded plants as a wash for rheumatism and as a stomach medicine. Seminole used the plant as an antirheumatic, febrifuge, emetic, and dermatological aid for spider bites. PFAF also lists sedative properties and notes that dried leaves were made into tea for back and breast pain.
S28 13 Moerman drug uses across Cherokee, Choctaw, Ojibwa, Seminole; S29 sedative, stomachic, antirheumatic

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No edible uses are documented. PFAF rates edibility at 0/5 and lists no food uses. Moerman records 13 ethnobotanical uses, all in the Drug category with none in Food.
S29 edibility 0/5; S28 13 Drug uses, 0 Food