Schoenoplectus lacustris Flower Bud (05/05/2012, Kew, London)
Position: Full sun to light shade
Flowering period: Summer
Soil: Wet, poorly drained
Eventual Height: 3m
Eventual Spread: 1m
Hardiness: 4a – 9a
Family: Cyperaceae
Schoenoplectus lacustris is a tufted evergreen, grass like water perennial. Its gray green leaves are stems which are round in cross section and up to 1.5cm in diameter. Its upper stem may produce a short blade. Its small brown flowers appear at the ends of the leaf stems as a terminal head of several branches consisting of many compact clusters of egg shaped spikelets. Its roots are rhizomes from which this plant spreads.
Schoenoplectus lacustris, commonly known as Common Club-Rush or Bullrush, is native to most temperate regions of the northern hemisphere including the UK. In its natural habitat it occurs in slow moving rivers, bogs, shallow pond margins and it occurs in stands.
The etymological root of the binomial name Schoenoplectus is derived from the Greek schoinos meaning ‘rush’ and plektos meaning ‘twisted’. Lacustris is derived from the Latin lacus meaning ‘lake’
Schoenoplectus lacustris (05/05/2012, Kew, London)
The landscape architect may find Schoenoplectus lacustris useful for UK native wetland planting schemes, at the edges of lakes, ponds or slow moving rivers.
Ecologically, S. lacustris is valuable along fresh water shorelines helping to buffer against water erosion.
S. lacustris prefers wet, poorly drained, fertile soils. It tolerates most pH of soil. It will tolerate a water depth to 30cm.
S. lacustris requires little maintenance.
