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Three-squared Bulrush
Schoenoplectus pungens

a.k.a. Common Threesquare, Scirpus pungens

A persistent, perennial, emergent herb that grows 3-5' tall and forms colonies. Three-square bulrush is a good soil stabilizer for shores, stream banks and vegetated swales. It provides good wildlife habitat and has a rapid rate of spread for mitigation and restoration sites.

USDA symbol: SCPU10

General Information

Plant TypeGrass
Height4 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorOrange, Green, Brown
Three-squared Bulrush (Three-squared Bulrush<div><em class="small">Schoenoplectus pungens</em></div>)
Photo credit: United States Department of Agriculture (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceVery High
General Resilience8
Salt ToleranceHigh
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Low

Bloom MonthsJune to September

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Erosion Control, Restoration, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism4
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadFast
Soil StabilizationDeep

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Grant, Hennepin, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Mille Lacs, Murray, Nobles, Norman, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Rock, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Washington, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands