Scientific Name: Scirpus

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

Either well-developed or blades much-reduced
Small leaf-like bracts

Flowers:

Variable
Grow in clusters
Can range from 50-500 flowers per spike
Each has only one scale extending under to support it
Blooms Apr – Aug

Stem:

Typically hollow
Thicker at base than near the flower
Up to 6 feet

Fruit:

One seed
Does not open to release seed when ripe
One surface flat, the other surface bulging

Where Does it Grow?

Bulrush can be found in wet meadows, swamps, shallow pond edges and muddy areas.

Pros and Cons of Bulrush

Seeds of bulrushes are consumed by ducks and other birds; while geese, muskrats, and nutria consume the rhizomes and early shoots. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Information and photos courtesy of AquaPlant A Diagnostics Tool for Pond Plants and Algae.

Bulrush