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Common Rush

Juncus effusus (JUN-kus eff-YOO-sus)

Family: Juncaceae Native Herbaceous

This wetland perennial rush is generally known by many names such as common rush, mat rush or soft rush. It is found in bogs, marshes and swamps and is native over large portions of temperate climates of the world. Varieties can be found throughout the United States except for South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah. The variety in NC is Juncus effusus spp. solutus . They prefer full sun but can tolerate some shade. Comon rush has no leaves, but the stems are attractive, upright, cylindrical, green and smooth from 12 - 36 inches in height and spreading in clumps. The late summer-blooming flowers are yellowish-green to brown in many-flowered cymes with an obovoid capsule following as fruit.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 44 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf feel
Soft
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
bladeless green basal sheaths surrounding stems
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Irregular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
spikey irregular yellowish-green to brown many-flowered cyme Small scaly flowers from July to September.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Upright, cylindrical spire
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America, W. South America, Eurasia,
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule

Uses (ethnobotany)

bogs, wetlands

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden
Design feature
Accent
Garden tags
#riparian #ncemgva2018 #water garden #native garden #mountains #piedmont #NC native #Piedmont Mountains FACW #Coastal OBL #garden walls #native rush #swamps #coastal plant #boggy sites #perennial #collier preserve tn #rain garden #HS303 #cpp #HS111 #herbaceous perennial #grass-like #wetland
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Propagation
Division

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.