Phragmites aka Phrag aka European Common Reed

[ShadowHM]

Do you have phragmites in your neck of the woods? What local efforts are being undertaken to do something about it?

I have been fighting this particular battle for quite a few years now. It all started with my concern over another wetland invasive plant - the beautiful but extremely invasive Purple Loostrife. I would wander the fen in Pike Bay, removing all the specimens I could find, in an attempt to keep this fragile wetland pristine. Luckily, on that front, there was a control mechanism available that has minimized the damage by that particular plant.

One fine day, about ten years ago, whilst enjoying a brew on the deck of a cottage neighbour, she pointed out into the fen from her place and asked if I knew that 'that new plant' was. On investigation, this newcomer was identified as Phragmites. A lot of research ensued.

This stuff is hard to kill, to put it mildly. And it is even more invasive than Purple Loosetrife. That original patch is gone; it took about 6 years of steady culling to make it go away. And I was, in hindsight, very lucky to be able to do that, as I was able to use Round-Up on it for most of those years, because the water in Lake Huron was so low. But new patches kept showing up.

Last year, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture declared Phragmites to be Canada's most invasive plant. And that's saying something, because there are a lot of other nasty ones out there too.

This plant has filled the ditches of all the major freeways in Ontario. It has choked out wetlands all over the province. There are local efforts ongoing in many places in Ontario. Many municipalities have started to undertake and/or pay for removal/mitigation practices. I have some hope about this.

And, I am glad and grateful to be able to say that Pike Bay is Phrag-free, for now. I organized two Phragmites 'Bees' this summer and got a lot of local help to both scout for and remove the Phrag on our bay. It was hard work. One large stand of it was growing in thigh-deep water that was a long wade from shore. Another large stand was in front of the cottage of two frail senior citizens who hadn't even realized what it was, other than a new thing that was blocking their view of the water. I know we will have to do this forever - the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.


But, now that I have brought the topic up - please chime in, folks. Do you have Phrag?

[LavCat]

Phragmites is an issue in New Jersey, as we have a lot of wetlands. I believe there is a stand of it in the wetlands next to where I live. I'm not positive on the species identification, but I'll try to take a closer look.

For a different opinion:

http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionConserva...inion.aspx

[ShadowHM]

For a different opinion:

http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionConserva...inion.aspx

I suspect that the linked article is referring to the native version, not the invader.

From the first link I gave:

Identifying Invasive Phragmites

One factor making the identification of invasive Phragmites difficult is the existence of a closely related native subspecies. Generally, native Phragmites does not grow as tall as the invasive plant and does not out-compete other native species. A number of characteristics of the plant can be useful in distinguishing between the native variety and invasive Phragmites. The following information can help in identifying invasive Phragmites.

Invasive Phragmites:

grows in stands that can be extremely dense with as many as 200 stems per square metre;
can grow so densely that it crowds out other species;
can reach heights of up to 5 metres (15 feet), and
has stems that are tan or beige in colour with blue-green leaves and large, dense seedheads.


Native Phragmites:

grows in stands that are usually not as dense as the invasive plant;
well-established stands are frequently mixed with other plants; and
usually has more reddish-brown stems, yellow-green leaves and smaller, sparser seedheads.

[kandrathe]

Yes. I noticed some years ago a neighbor had planted a pretty stand of tall feathery reeds along the roadway. Now, they have spread for some miles in both directions. I'm sure they are not the only ones. Wouldn't it be nice if the DNR might be able to compel them to clean up their environmental mess.

[LavCat]

I walked through the local wetlands on the way to work and observed the phragmites. Not much to say except it's been a dry summer and the wetlands are not, at the moment, very wet. Even the phragmites were turning brown.

[ShadowHM]

Yes. I noticed some years ago a neighbor had planted a pretty stand of tall feathery reeds along the roadway. Now, they have spread for some miles in both directions. I'm sure they are not the only ones. Wouldn't it be nice if the DNR might be able to compel them to clean up their environmental mess.

While I would (and do) frown upon those who plant invasive species, it is entirely likely that the spread of them along roadways is partially caused by municipal and county machinery used to mow the roadsides. Bits and pieces of the mown plants, including but not limited to the seeds, get stuck in the blades and then fall out further down the road. This has helped the the spread of both phragmites and wild parsnip in Ontario.