Softstem bulrush
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani · Aquatic plants
Flowers or seeds · Photo: Svitlana Kyiak / CC0
Also called Great bulrush, Schoenoplectus validus, Scirpus validus
How to identify Softstem bulrush
- Round, pale blue green stems
- Stems soft and crush easily between fingers
- Drooping flower clusters near the tip
- Spongy pith inside
Similar plants
Hardstem bulrush has darker, firm stems; spikerushes are much shorter with a single spikelet at the tip.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Stems emerge in spring, flowers June to August, tops die back in fall and rhizomes overwinter. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 50 F water; full sun |
| Light | Needs full sun |
| Depth | Shoreline to about 3 feet of water |
| How it spreads | Rhizomes and seeds |
| Habitat | Marshes, ponds, ditches and lake margins on soft mud; tolerates nutrient rich and somewhat salty water. |
Why it matters in a lake
Fast colonizer of new ponds and disturbed shores. Seeds are a waterfowl food and stems take up nutrients from the water.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Cyperaceae |
| Scientific name | Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani |
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Baltic rushNeed a hand?
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