Pale bulrush
Scirpus pallidus · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Jes Gray / CC BY
Also called Cloaked bulrush
How to identify Pale bulrush
- Leafy triangular stems 2 to 5 feet
- Dense, rounded clusters of dark gray spikelets
- Pale blue green leaves
- Short rhizomes
Similar plants
Panicled bulrush has a more open cluster and reddish sheaths.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Grows from spring, flowers in summer and overwinters as rhizomes. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 50 F soil; full sun |
| Light | Full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 1 foot of water |
| How it spreads | Seeds and short rhizomes |
| Habitat | Marshes, pond edges and ditches on the plains and in valleys. |
Why it matters in a lake
Local in the region; seeds feed waterfowl.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Rare
- Oregon: Not recorded
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Cyperaceae |
| Scientific name | Scirpus pallidus |
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Baltic rushNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596