Phragmites australis

Phragmites australis is presently considered a noxious weed in several states; it has non-native germplasm introduced onto this continent, although it also has native germplasm. It is commonly used as forage for livestock in its early growth stages; it is a high-quality forage at early stages. It also is an excellent soil stabilizer, being used in many wetland and streambank rehabilitation and revegetation projects.
Photo Credit: © R.A. Howard, USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, Dept. of Systematic Biology, Botany.
Phragmites australis
Common Name: common reed
Plant Functional Group: Graminoid
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Poales > Poaceae
What does the species look like?

Common reed is a long-lived, perennial grass growing 3.3 to 16 feet tall and sometimes appearing like a shrub. Its inconspicuous, green flowers have both male and female parts, are arranged in a large, dense plume, and are wind- and self-pollinated.

Common reed is nearly worldwide. On this continent, it grows in marshes and swamps, oxbow lakes and backwater sites, around springs, and also on streambanks, lakesides, irrigation ditches and other disturbed areas. It grows well on sites in which the water level fluctuates from 6 inches below the soil surface to 6 inches above the soil surface; it can tolerate sites that are seasonally flooded with not more than 20 inches of water. It prefers firm, mineral clays, but will grow on many soils, from clays to sandy loams. It prefers freshwater areas and tolerates moderate salinity and alkaline or highly acidic wetland sites.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AL, AR, AZ, BC, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MB, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NB, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NL, NM, NS, NT, NV, NY, OH, OK, ON, OR, PA, PE, QC, RI, SC, SD, SK, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Special Considerations for Observing

If drought seems to be the cause of leaf withering for a plant, please make a comment about it for that observation.
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Initial growth
New growth of the plant is visible after a period of no growth (winter or drought), either as new green shoots sprouting from nodes on existing stems, new green shoots breaking through the soil surface, or re-greening of dried stems or leaves. For each shoot, growth is considered "initial" until the first leaf has unfolded or has fully re-greened.
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Leaves
One or more live, green, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once it unrolls slightly from around the stem and begins to fall away at an angle from the stem. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.
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What percentage of the plant is green?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Flowers Flower heads
One or more fresh flower heads (inflorescences) are visible on the plant. Flower heads, which include many small flowers arranged in spikelets, emerge from inside the stem and gradually grow taller. Include flower heads with unopened or open flowers, but do not include heads whose flowers have all wilted or dried or begun to develop into fruits (grains).
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How many fresh flower heads are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. A flower is considered "open" when reproductive parts (male anthers or female stigmata) can be seen protruding from the spikelet. Do not include flowers with wilted or dried reproductive parts.
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What percentage of all fresh flowers (unopened plus open) on the plant are open?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Pollen release
One or more flowers on the plant release visible pollen grains when gently shaken or blown into your palm or onto a dark surface.
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How much pollen is released?

  • Little: Only a few grains are released.
  • Some: Many grains are released.
  • Lots: A layer of pollen covers your palm, or a cloud of pollen can be seen in the air when the wind blows

Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Phragmites australis, the fruit is a tiny grain, hidden within tiny bracts and grouped into small clusters that are closely arranged on a large, wide, open-branched plume (or seed head), that changes texture from soft or watery to hard and drops from the plant. Do not include seed heads that have already dropped all of their grains.
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How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Phragmites australis, a fruit is considered ripe when it is hard when squeezed and difficult to divide with a fingernail, or when it readily drops from the plant when touched. Do not include seed heads that have already dropped all of their grains.
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What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
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How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for common reed (USDA Symbol: PHAU7 )