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Spike Rush
Eleocharis acicularis

a.k.a. Needle Spikerush

Common Spikerush is a cool-season, clump-forming species that prefers full sun and wet soil. One of the most common spike rush species in Minnesota, it is a good wetland restoration species.

USDA symbol: ELAC

General Information

Plant TypeGrass
Height6 to 12 inches
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorGreen
Spike Rush (Spike Rush<div><em class="small">Eleocharis acicularis</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceFire Tolerant

Pollinator Value: None Known

Bloom MonthsJuly

Project Planning

Project TypeShoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism3
Herbivore SensitivityHigh
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadFast
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Marshall, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Swift, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, 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