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Hard Rush

Juncus inflexus (JUN-kus in-FLEKS-us)

Family: Juncaceae Non-native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Hard rush is a rhizomatous perennial plant in Juncaceae (rush) family and is native to Europe, Africa and Asia. Hard rush grows in clumps with upright foliage and slowly spreads by rhizomes and seeds. The plant can grow up to 1.5 feet tall with mostly leafless blue-green stems. This plant may be slow to get started but once established can be divided as needed. in colder climates, it will die to the ground but in zones 7-9 it may be evergreen. This plant does best in full sun with consistently moist to wet heavy soil with a pH that is alkaline to neutral. It is able to grow in boggy wet sites around ponds and streams but will also do well in containers and the garden, given enough moisture. Use in rain gardens, containers and boggy sites. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 52 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Alkaline (>8.0); 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.

Native alternatives Juncus effusus Juncus effusus subsp. solutus Juncus tenuis

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
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) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasional Flooding | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Dense; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Linear green leaves at the base provide structure to the stems
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower detail
Clusters of small reddish-brown flowers appear in late spring to mid-summer near the tips of the stems.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Beaked capsule forms after flowering
Stem color
Blue; Green
Stem detail
Blue-green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Temperate Europe, Asia, Africa and Micronesia
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule

Uses (ethnobotany)

Used in basket weaving

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme
Rain Garden; Water Garden
Design feature
Small groups
Garden tags
#clumping #wet soils tolerant #rhizomatous #rain garden #sun #acidic soils tolerant #landscape plant sleuths course #boggy sites #cpp #herbaceous perennial #grass-like #pond
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Urban Conditions; Wet Soil
Propagation
Division; Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.