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Green Bulrush
Scirpus atrovirens

a.k.a. Dark Green Bulrush

Green bulrush is a common, short-lived, pioneer, emergent, native perennial with course clump form and nice clusters of small, brown heads that may reach a height of 5'. It is well-suited to controlling erosion along shorelines, ditches, stream banks, meadows and thickets. It is a good pioneer species that will vegetate a site quickly with a decorative bunching form. It is a frequent pioneering colonizer of wetland mitigation sites and disturbed areas.

USDA symbol: SCAT2

General Information

Plant TypeGrass
Height5 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureMedium, Wet
Bloom ColorYellow, Green, Brown
Green Bulrush (Green Bulrush<div><em class="small">Scirpus atrovirens</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceFire Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Medium

Bloom MonthsJuly to August

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Erosion Control, Restoration
Coefficient of Conservatism3
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Mahnomen, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Rice, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Winona, Wright
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