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American Bur-Reed

Sparganium americanum

American Bur-Reed Locations in North America
American Bur-Reed Locations in Southeast US
american bur-reed

American bur-reed diagram

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is American Bur-Reed?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Strap-like
  • Thick
  • Up to 1 inch wide
  • Bright green in color
  • Taller than the flower
  • Flat on top

Flowers:

  • Large
  • Spherical
  • Bur-like
  • Clustered
  • About 1 inch in diameter
  • Green at first, turning brown with age
  • Blooms May- Aug 

Fruit:

  • Dry
  • One seeded
  • Does not open to release seed when ripe

Stem:

  • Up to 2 feet tall
  • Grass-like
  • Erect

Where Does it Grow?

America bur-reed can be found in shallow waters with partial shade in wet marshes and along the edges of ponds and lakes.

Pros and Cons of American Bur-Reed

The seeds are eaten by waterfowl and marsh birds, and muskrats feed on the entire plant. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

How to Manage This Plant
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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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