Common reed (invasive)
Phragmites australis subsp. australis · Aquatic plants
Photo: Mara McHaffie / CC0
Also called phragmites, Non native phragmites, Common reed (phragmites), European common reed, Phragmites
State noxious weed listing
- Idaho: Control
- Oregon: B list
How to identify Common reed (invasive)
- Very tall grass up to 15 feet with wide flat leaves
- Large, dense, feathery purple to tan seed heads
- Dull, rough, tan stems in very dense stands
- Leaf sheaths stay on the stems in winter
Similar plants
Native common reed has smooth, shiny, often reddish stems and sparser stands; reed canarygrass is much shorter.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Shoots emerge in April and May, grows quickly through summer, flowers August and September and stems stand through winter. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 50 F soil; full sun |
| Light | Needs full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 6 feet of water |
| How it spreads | Rhizomes, runners on the surface, stem fragments and seeds |
| Habitat | Marshes, ditches, canals, pond and reservoir shores; tolerates salt and nutrient rich water. |
Why it matters in a lake
Forms nearly solid stands that crowd out native plants and block access to the water. Listed as a noxious weed in parts of the region.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Scientific name | Phragmites australis subsp. australis |
Broadleaf cattail
Hardstem bulrush
Reed canarygrass
Purple loosestrife
Soft rush
Yellow flag iris
Broadleaf arrowhead
Western water hemlock
Beaked sedge
Baltic rushNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
We identify what is growing, map how much of it there is and build a control plan that targets it without harming the rest of the lake.
Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596