Common Reed

Phragmites australis

Description

A tall perennial grass that grows to over 15 feet. It forms dense stands with both live and dead stems from the previous year. Leaves are elongate. Flowers form bushy panicles in late July and August and are usually purple or golden in color. As seeds mature, panicles take on a ?fluffy? appearance due to the hairs on the seeds. It's very similar to native common reed. It can be best distinguished by its tight leaf sheaths and thinner ligule width (native ranges between 1.0-1.7 mm, while introduced is 0.4-0.9mm).

Habitat

Tidal and non-tidal brackish and freshwater marshes, river edges, shores of lakes and ponds, roadsides, disturbed areas

Distribution

Sporadic throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho

Impacts

Crowds out native species, changes marsh hydrology, alters wildlife habitat, and increases fire potential

Dispersal Methods

Birds, construction machinery, anthropogenic and natural disturbance, water currents, and wind

Prevention

Look for common reed in highly disturbed, wet sites; it's very common along roadsides.

Listings

Not listed

Factsheets

Plant Conservation Alliance's Plant Working Group Fact Sheet

Photos

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?stat=BROWSE&query_src=photos_flora_com&where-genre=Plant&where-namesoup=Common+Reed&rel-namesoup=matchphrase

Distribution Map

Distribution in Oregon
Distribution in Washington
Distribution in Idaho

Identification Help

PowerPoint Presentation of the Overview and Identification of Introduced Exotic and Native Forms of Common Reed

CWMA Warnings

North Coast