Practical
Plants

Scirpus lacustris

Bulrush

a perennial member of the Scirpus genus in the family Cyperaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Scirpus
Life cycle
perennial
Height
2.5 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or cooked[8][14][15][6]. Rich in starch, it can be dried and ground into a powder or made into a syrup[4][14][15][6]. The buds at the end of the rhizomes are crisp and sweet, making excellent eating raw[6]. Young shoots - raw or cooked[14][6]. Used in spring. Seed - ground up into a powder and mixed with flour for use in making cakes etc[14][6]. The seed is small and rather fiddly to harvest and utilize. Base of mature stems - raw or cooked. Somewhat tough[14]. Pollen - raw or cooked. Rich in pollen, it is mixed with flour and used in making cakes etc[14][6].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Pollen
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Stem

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The roots are astringent and diuretic[12]. They were formerly employed medicinally but have fallen into disuse[13]. This plant is a traditional medicine for cancer[10].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Diuretic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The stems are frequently used for making matting, chair bottoms etc and thatching[1][13][11][14][2][3]. They were at one time imported in large quantities for this purpose[13]. The pith of the stems is used in paper making[2].

Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Thatching
Product or use
Weaving

Environment

Range
Europe, incl Britain, south and east from Lapland to Africa and Asia. N. and C. America, Polynesia.
Habitat
Bogs, shallow pond margins, rivers and lakes, usually where there is abundant silt, in acid or calcareous conditions[1][5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in 3cm of water. Only just cover the seed with soil[9]. The seed usually germinates fairly quickly. Prick out the plants when large enough to handle and plant out in their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any wet to moisture retentive soil, pond margins and shallow water in full sun or shade[1][9]. Plants can succeed in fairly deep water. Hardy to about -25°c[7]. Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩1↩2

  3. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩

  4. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

    ↩

  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  10. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  11. Wright. D. Complete Book of Baskets and Basketry. David and Charles 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-7449-4

    ↩

  12. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  13. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  15. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2

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