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Shoreline Plants |
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| Species: | Phalaris arundinacea L., reed canarygrass |
| Family: | Poaceae |
Reed canarygrass is an invasive, tall, coarse looking, perennial grass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas. The stems can reach 2 m in height. Leaf blades are blue-green when fresh and straw-colored when dry. The flowers are borne on the stem high above the leaves and are pinkish at full bloom. |
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Leaf: Flat, blue-green leaves are rough to the touch, to 30 cm long, and relatively wide (to 17 mm). Stem: The hollow round stem is covered with a waxy coating and is up to 1 cm in diameter. Flower: Each flower group (spikelet) has 3 flowers. These spikelets are located in dense clusters that are 2-40 cm long and to 11 cm wide. Blooms June through August. Fruit: Dry and one-seeded, with a conspicuously glossy tan surface; 1.5-2 mm long and less than 1 mm wide. Root: Long and fibrous. Emerging from the nodes of long, stout, scaly, pinkish rhizomes. Propagation: Seeds, rhizomes. Importance of plant: Invasive in wetlands, where it outcompetes native species. Dense stands cause flooding in streams and ditches. Eaten by only a few wildlife species, it grows too densely to be used as cover for waterfowl. Grown as cattle forage, particularly in eastern Washington. A major pollen contributor during the allergy season. Distribution: Native to Eurasia. Introduced to North America in all but the extreme southeastern United States and Mexico. Habitat: Wet meadows, marshes, pastures, lakes margins, and ditches. Tolerates short term flooding. May be confused with: Other shoreline grasses, such as common
reed (Phragmites australis) which is usually larger (to 3
m tall) and has a more open flower cluster; reed mannagrass (Glyceria
grandis) which has less dense and more open diffuse flower clusters;
tall fescue (Festuca
Line Drawings: None available |
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arundinacea) which has narrower leaves (4 to
10 mm wide) and a non-rhizomatous habit;
and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) which has flower clusters
attached to only one side of the flowering stems, is not rhizomatous
,and usually grows on dryer sites.