Common spikerush
Eleocharis palustris · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Мирослав Соболев / CC BY
Also called Spikerush, Creeping spikerush
How to identify Common spikerush
- Leafless, round green stems 1 to 3 feet
- A single small brown spikelet at the stem tip
- Stem base with reddish sheaths
- Spreads into dense lawns from rhizomes
Similar plants
Bulrushes are taller with flower clusters on the side; rushes have flowers on the side and solid pith.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Shoots appear in spring, flowers May to August and rhizomes overwinter. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 45 to 50 F soil; full sun |
| Light | Needs full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 2 feet of water |
| How it spreads | Rhizomes and seeds |
| Habitat | Shorelines of ponds, lakes, reservoirs and ditches on mud or sand; tolerates alkaline water and fluctuating levels. |
Why it matters in a lake
One of the most widespread emergent plants in the region. Stabilizes shorelines and the seeds feed ducks.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Cyperaceae |
| Scientific name | Eleocharis palustris |
Broadleaf cattail
Hardstem bulrush
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Purple loosestrife
Soft rush
Yellow flag iris
Broadleaf arrowhead
Western water hemlock
Beaked sedge
Baltic rushNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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