Phragmites australis
Copyright, A. Murray, University of Florida
Common Reed is a large
grass
that grows up to 12 feet tall. It has a large
stalk,
called a culm, which can be an inch thick. The culm is
hollow inside. Leaves
of Common Reed are long, sharp, and bluish-green blades.
They grow about two feet long and two inches
wide. Common Reed flowers have
several different parts. First, they have a panicle, which
is a long stem. On each panicle, there are many spikelets.
Each spikelet has up to seven small reddish flowers on it.
The flowers are less than an inch long. Later, the flowers die
and small gray fruits with many seeds take their
place. Common Reeds grow in
marshes,
or along the edges of ponds, lakes, and streams. They can
grow in shallow water, or in dry places. This grass often forms
thick stands.
A stand is an area where one species of plant takes over so
there is hardly any room for other plants. Some other plants that
often grow with Common Reeds include Common Cattail,
bulrushes, Arrowhead, sedges, thistles, and docks. Some
trees that grow in the same areas as Common Reeds are oaks,
hickories, maples, American Elm, American Beech, and
willows. Common Reeds can be very
competitive.
They will often crowd out other plants, such as cattails.
They grow quickly by spreading underground stems, called
rhizomes.
Copyright, A. Murray, University of Florida
Birds eat the
seeds
of Common Reeds, and Muskrats eat the rhizomes. However,
this plant is more important to wildlife as protection and
cover. Because it is so tall,
Common Reed can hide big animals, such as White-tailed Deer,
as well as many small animals, such as frogs and
insects. Can you see the
Common Snapping Turtle in the reeds above? To the
right is a picture of a Mallard nest among some
reeds.
