Common Reed, Phragmites australis, is a perennial that grows well in wetland areas. It spreads up to 5 meters a year; this is in the form of runners that are rooted in several places. It makes for a year round interest visually, with tall green stems in summer, bushy heads in autumn, and winter stems as well.
It will flower, reddish blooms that are on spikes, and then die out to produce light gray seed heads as fruits for the growth of more plants and for food sources. There are plenty of living creatures that love common reed, as a hiding spot and as a food source. Birds will eat the seeds, some muskrats eat the rhizomes, frogs and other water dwellers are hidden by its thickness, and there are some places where it can even hide deer.
How to Plant and Grow Common Reed
Common reed likes damp ground or standing water, with stems up to 12 feet in height. It prefers full sun but can stand some partial shade. It requires an alkaline or neutral pH condition, not surviving in acidity. Wetland areas will see much reed bed growths. The leaves are a very interesting color of blue green and are sharp to the touch. The flowers are small, usually only an inch wide, but the reed is commonly grown more for its foliage during the seasons that for the blooms on it.
Folk Remedy
Common Reed has been used for breast cancer, leukemia, cholera, arthritis, bronchitis, fever, gout, diabetes, jaundice, typhoid, rheumatism, nausea, and cough. Some of the many calls to fame of Phragmites australis are as an alexeteric (an anti-poison), diaphoretic (makes one sweat), sialogogue (increases saliva, reverses dry mouth), stomachic (stomach soother), diuretic (increases urination), emetic (makes one vomit), and sudorific (increases perspiration).
States Claiming “Noxious Weed” Status
The following states have listed common reed, Phragmites australis, as a noxious weed. Some have it banned. This will let the gardener know if common reed is allowed in their state, and therefore allowed in their water garden.
- Washington – Class C Noxious weed
- Vermont – Class B Noxious weed
- South Carolina – Plant pest and Invasive aquatic plant
- Alabama – Class C Noxious weed
- Connecticut – Invasive and Banned
- Massachusetts - Prohibited
Common Reed Uses
The plant has been used for several different functions other than a typical water garden plant. It can be woven into baskets and other woven items. It can be formed into a crude paper. It is also used to thatch roofs with, especially the water reed variety. Common Reed is also used as a water treatment where water is flowed through a reed bed and the litter is filtered out. So while there are plenty of cons to having common reed in the water garden, there are some uses that make it quite useful as well.
Scientific Classification of Common Reed
- Kingdom Plantae – Plants
- Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
- Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
- Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
- Class Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
- Subclass Commelinidae
- Order Cyperales
- Family Poaceae – Grass family
- Genus Phragmites Adans. – reed
- Species Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. – common reed
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