Juncus effusus L.
Common Bog Rush
Soft rush is a tufted, evergreen perennial of the rush family and one of the most common plants of wet ground across Britain and Ireland. It forms dense, rounded clumps of smooth, glossy, cylindrical green stems that are soft and pliable to the touch and filled with a spongy white pith.
About
Soft rush is a tufted, evergreen perennial of the rush family and one of the most common plants of wet ground across Britain and Ireland. It forms dense, rounded clumps of smooth, glossy, cylindrical green stems that are soft and pliable to the touch and filled with a spongy white pith. In summer, loose clusters of small brownish flowers appear to burst from the side of each stem, well below the pointed tip.
It is a strong indicator of damp, poorly drained conditions, colonising wet meadows and pastures, marshes, bog margins, pond sides, ditches and rushy grassland, usually on acidic, waterlogged soils in open situations. The clumps provide valuable cover and nesting material for wetland birds and shelter for invertebrates and amphibians. Rather than a border plant, it belongs in wildlife ponds, wet meadows and conservation grazing, where it is a defining component of rush pasture habitats; in productive grassland it can spread vigorously.
Also known as
Common Rush · Flutterrush · Lamp Rush · Soft Rush · Soft-rush · bog rush · corkscrew rush
Synonyms
Juncus canariensis · Juncus communis effusus · Juncus effusus laxiflorus · Juncus effusus oblongicarpus · Juncus effusus suberectus · Juncus expansus
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.