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Phragmites

Phragmites australis

Phragmites is a non-native, invasive perennial plant with feathery plumes at the top of tall, stiff stalks. It grows in wetlands and along roadsides and shorelines throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Appearance:

• Feathery seed plumes at the top of round, erect stems. Young plants have purplish-brown seed plumes that turn tan or whitish as the plant matures.
• Sheath-like leaves that grow 2 feet long and taper to a point at the tip
• Gray-green foliage during the growing season. In autumn, foliage turns brown and most leaves drop off, leaving only the feathery plumes.
• Can grow to 15 feet tall

Habitat:

• Grows in fresh and brackish wetlands and along river banks and shorelines
• Also common in disturbed places such as ditches, roadsides and dredged areas
• Forms large, dense stands that crowd out other plants

Range:

• Grows throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed
• Native to Europe and Asia

Reproduction and Life Cycle:

• Feathery plumes begin to appear in June. By August, they are filled with seeds.
• Plants cross-pollinate in late August and early September
• In autumn, phragmites sheds its seeds. Wind and water spread the seeds.
• By the first frost, the plant’s food reserves move from its leaves to its rhizomes. The leaves die and fall off, leaving only dead brown stems and plumes.
• Also spreads rapidly by rhizomes. Phragmites rhizomes form a dense underground network that can be several feet deep and spread several feet horizontally in a single season.
• New seedlings begin to grow in early spring of the next year

Other Facts:

• Also known as common reed or reed grass
• Phragmites comes from the Greek word Phragma meaning “fence”
• Introduced to the United States in the 19^th century when ships from Eurasia inadvertently carried phragmites seeds in their ballast
• There is a type of phragmites that is native to the U.S., but it is very rare
• Unlike many native wetland plants, phragmites is not a valuable food source for waterfowl

Sources and Additional Information:

• Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
• PLANTS Profile for Phragmites australis – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Phragmites australis – U.S. Forest Service
• Aquatic Invasive Species of Pennsylvania: Phragmites – Pennsylvania Sea Grant
• Plant Conservation Alliance Alien Plant Working Group: Common Reed – National Park Service