Phragmites

Phragmites / Common Reed plant  Phragmites / Common Reed head

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.

Common name: Common Reed
 
Growth form: Subshrub, Shrub, Graminoid
 
Life Span: Perennial
 
Flowering Dates: June-September
 
Reproduction: Sprigs
 
Height: 2.0 - 4.37 m (6.0 - 13.1 ft.)
 
Seed: The seedhead is an open panicle with a purplish or tawny and flaglike appearance after seed shatter.
 
Leaves: The leaf blade is flat; smooth; 1/2 to 2 inches wide; and 6 to 18 inches long.
 
Where Found: Primarily in wetland areas.
 
Uses and Values: cattle and horses. It provides high quality warm-season forage but becomes tough and unpalatable after maturity. Animals grazing this grass during winter should be fed a protein concentrate.
 
Poisoning: None
 
Other: Phragmites is a noxious weed in Nebraska and other states