BULRUSH

Often home to songbirds and waterfowl that nest among its tall stems, the bulrush is found in moist locations near bogs, ponds, rivers or salt marshes.

The bulrush stem, which is tubular and straight, stretches up to 10 feet tall, devoid of leaves, petals or other adorning foliage. Near the very tip of the stem, there are tiny spearlike, reddish-brown flowers that droop when fully mature. The bulrush is a member of the botanical family of sedges. It is sometimes mistaken for rushes used in basket weaving, or for those among which Moses was found.

Waterfowl find the bulrushes ideal for housing their nests. The stands offer safe haven from predators, and bulrush seeds serve as nourishment for ducks, geese, swans and their offspring.

In some regions of the United States, muskrats, otters and raccoons hide and hunt under the bulrushes, feeding off the plants’ rootstocks.

Like the ones shown growing along the Santa Clara River, bulrushes sprout in clusters of spears that crowd together. They are in bloom from June through September, with spartan flowers growing to to 1/2 of an inch long.

The bulrush, formally called scirpus , is hardly ornamental in appearance but is considered a wildflower.