User:Teresama
Soil Spotlight: Phragmites australis
Profile: Phragmites australis, commonly known as “phragmites” is an abundant perennial wetland grass in the Grass family (Poaceae). They can grow up to 20 feet tall and have a vast rhizome network below-ground. Habitat and range: Phragmites originated from Europe, and has a worldwide distribution, now including the United States. They are listed as invasive in CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, and WI.
They prefer sunny wetland areas and are found in elevated areas of brackish and freshwater, as they cannot survive in permanently standing water and must rely on the seasonal flooding of high water tables and fluctuation of water levels. This includes marshes, along riverbanks, swales, oxbow lakes, lakeshores, backwater areas of rivers and streams, springs and pond margins. They thrive in disturbed areas with soil that is highly acidic or polluted. Subsequently, you can spot them growing in large amounts along highways, road sides, drainage ditches, dredged areas and disturbed plant communities. They will also encroach on healthy plant communities, which is why they are so destructive. Behavior and life cycle: Phragmites spread by aggressively colonizing disturbed soils and forming monocultures in the space it grows in. It can establish itself by spreading seeds or rhizome segments. They compete with other plants such as wild rice, cattails, and native wetland orchids, and do so by growing densely which blocks out light for surrounding plants. Below-ground, the vast rhizome network leaves little space for other plants’ roots.
The growth period of shoot emergence begins around April and lasts until June. Here, shoots grow from buds of existing stems, stolons and rhizomes. From July to August, flowering occurs and they remain green until frost in the fall. They will begin to pale in color and become brittle. The stems endure throughout the winter until new growth begins in the spring.
Methods of control:
Chemical: The herbicide glyphosate is utilized to control the spread.
Control burns are glyphosate has been applied as part of the chemical control method. The fire helps remove the previous year’s growth. This then allows managers to assess how effective the herbicide is and if there is remaining vegetation that requires spot treatment herbicide.
Biological: Goats are sometimes used to forage on phragmites, but this method isn’t widely used. Physical: This method requires cutting the reed and digging up the rhizomes, or frequently mowing the area. Success rates are not high because phragmites can be reestablished from seeds or other existing rhizomes. It is also difficult to cover large areas at a time using this method.