Bulrush
Other Common Names: California bulrush, woolgrass, keeled bulrush
(Scirpus californicus, Scirpus cyperinus, Scirpus koilolepis, etc.)
Native
Bulrushes are long grass like plants with brown spiky flowers that bloom in spring.
Description
Bulrushes are grass like plants that can grow up to 10 feet tall in shallow water. There are 14 types of bulrushes in North America.
Green to brown, the tall stems are typically hollow, round or triangular, and come to a point at the end.
Flowers may grow just below the tip of the stem, are brown and spiky, and usually droop. Bulrush flowers are one and a half to four and three quarter inches long and bloom in the spring. The spikes on a bulrush can have 50 to 100 flowers each.
Geese, muskrats, and nutria eat the rhizomes and young shoots of bulrushes. For centuries, bulrushes have been a popular choice for weaving baskets and mats. The long stems prove to be worthy because of their straight leathery nature that lacks joints.
Management Options
Location
Bulrush can be found across the United States.
Propagation
rhizomes, seeds