Phragmites

•

Growth Form: Grass

•

•Life Span: Perennial

•

•Origin: Native (and European, invasive)

•

•Season: Warm

•

•Reproduction: Rhizomes, seeds, and stolens

•

•Height: 3-20 ft.

•

•Sheath: Open, smooth culms, margins with fine hairs for native
and tight rough culms for invasive.

•

•Blade: Flat, tapering to long-attenuate tips; margins serrate,
glabrous; upper surface ridge-veined, lower
surface glabrous or sparsely hairy

•

•Rhizomes: Extensive, stout, and scaly

History: Pieces of the stems were used to make pen
points in early America. Some Native Americans used
common reed for thatching, mats, and arrows.
Rhizomes were used as emergency food.

•

•Location: Throughout the Great Plains forming dense
patches in wet and moderately fertile soils along banks
of ponds, lakes, streams, marshes, roads, ditches, and
in wet fields. Found in wetlands worldwide.

•

•Uses and Values: It is eaten by cattle and horses when
it is immature. Seeds are eaten by waterfowl also the rhizomes
and stems are eaten by muskrats.

•

Control: Some mechanical treatments include: mowing,
disking, flooding, draining, and burning, however it may be
necessary for multiple treatments. In most cases the best
form of controlling Phragmites is through an aquatic herbicides
such as Rodeo and Habitat. On large areas in remote locations
aerial application of herbicide using a helicopter was the best form of control.

		LOWER PLATTE WEED MANAGEMENT AREA


		Common Reed (Phragmites) • Growth Form: Grass • •Life Span: Perennial • •Origin: Native (and European, invasive) • •Season: Warm • •Reproduction: Rhizomes, seeds, and stolens • •Height: 3-20 ft. • •Sheath: Open, smooth culms, margins with fine hairs for native and tight rough culms for invasive. • •Blade: Flat, tapering to long-attenuate tips; margins serrate, glabrous; upper surface ridge-veined, lower surface glabrous or sparsely hairy • •Rhizomes: Extensive, stout, and scaly History: Pieces of the stems were used to make pen points in early America. Some Native Americans used common reed for thatching, mats, and arrows. Rhizomes were used as emergency food. • •Location: Throughout the Great Plains forming dense patches in wet and moderately fertile soils along banks of ponds, lakes, streams, marshes, roads, ditches, and in wet fields. Found in wetlands worldwide. • •Uses and Values: It is eaten by cattle and horses when it is immature. Seeds are eaten by waterfowl also the rhizomes and stems are eaten by muskrats. • • Control: Some mechanical treatments include: mowing, disking, flooding, draining, and burning, however it may be necessary for multiple treatments. In most cases the best form of controlling Phragmites is through an aquatic herbicides such as Rodeo and Habitat. On large areas in remote locations aerial application of herbicide using a helicopter was the best form of control. Phragmites uses it's rhisomes to find water and grow Previous year's growth along river