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Lizard's tail has hairy, upright stem with few branches. It can reach up to 4 feet in height, but the entire stem is rarely seen because it grows under the water.
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Lizard's tail produces large heart-shaped leaves. They are dark green colored, equipped with long petioles and alternately arranged on the stem.
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Leaves of lizard's tail emit pleasant, sassafras-like aroma when they are crushed.
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Lizard's tail produces small, white flowers arranged in the narrow spikes with drooping tips. Spikes are formed on 3-inches-long flowering stalks and they are usually 6 inches long. Flowers of lizard's tail contain both types of reproductive organs (perfect flowers).
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Lizard's tail blooms from June to September. Flowers are aromatic, rich in nectar and they attract bees and flies which are responsible for the pollination of this plant.
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Fruit of lizard's tail is capsule filled with seed.
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Lizard's tail is named after elongated, drooping spikes that look like a wrinkled tail of lizard.
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Lizard's tail propagates via division of root and via rhizome which grows sideways and "sends" new plants from the water.
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Lizard's tail often grows in colonies (many plants grow from the same rhizome) and plays valuable role in the aquatic community. Dense colonies of lizard's tail provide shelter for fish, crayfish, turtles, muskrats, beavers, snakes and aquatic insects, and serve as nesting area for dragonflies, salamanders and frogs (predators cannot easily find eggs hidden around this plant).
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Lizard's tail has orange-like aroma.
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Wood ducks and turtles like to eat leaves of lizard's tail.
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Young shoots and leaves of lizard's tail are used as food for sheep and cattle.
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Lizard's tail should be consumed in moderation because large quantities of this plant can be toxic both for humans and animals.
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Root of lizard's tail is used in treatment of rheumatism, sore breast (hence the nickname "breast weed") and wounds on the skin, while tea made of leaves can be used in treatment of back pain and stomach ache.
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Lizard's tail is perennial plant (life span: more than 2 years).
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