Bur-reed

Bur-reed family. The family bur-reeds contains only one genus, comprising 20 species of perennial aquatic and marsh plants

A perennial waterside plant prone to rapid spreading. In nature bur-reeds grow along the marshy banks of rivers, ponds, and in bogs. The capitate inflorescences of these plants consist of numerous small inconspicuous flowers. In the flowers, instead of petals, there are three greenish scales. The male heads are small, yellow, and downy. Larger greenish female heads are located below the male ones. Bur-reed fruits are filled with air and, like floats, remain on the water surface. The wind drives the light fruits across the water until they lodge on some muddy bank where they will germinate. Bur-reed leaves are not as sturdy as, for example, the leaves of cattail or reed. But bur-reeds usually settle among stands of other aquatic plants that protect the delicate leaves from gusts of wind. Air chambers are clearly visible on a cross-section of the bur-reed leaves. Bur-reeds have a creeping rhizome and two types of roots. Some hold the plant firmly to the bottom, while others spread through the water column and absorb nutrients from it.

Location: planted along the shores of still or slow-flowing water bodies and in shallow water into the bottom substrate or into containers with fertile soil. Planting depth - 8-12 cm below the water level. They prefer well-lit sites but can tolerate partial shade.

Care for bur-reed: thinning and limiting the spread of the plants.

Propagation of bur-reed: by dividing clumps in spring, by seed.

Use: bur-reeds are very distinctive plants with graceful leaves and spiky spherical inflorescences. They spread fairly rapidly, forming picturesque thickets, but because of their aggressiveness they are used for landscaping only fairly large water bodies. In addition, they (especially the erect bur-reed) can pose a danger to ponds with a liner on the bottom, since their roots can easily pierce the liner. In small water bodies it is better to plant the floating and small bur-reeds. They are less aggressive, significantly smaller, and their leaves look very picturesque on the water surface.