Herb: River Bulrush


Latin name: Scirpus fluviatilis


Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)



Medicinal use of River Bulrush:

This plant was ranked 11th in a survey of 250 potential antifertility plants in China.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Fresh or brackish marshes and quiet water along streams and lakes, sometimes in water up to 1 metre deep, in western and eastern N. America.

Edible parts of River Bulrush:

The stems are peeled and eaten. Root - raw or cooked. The roots form tubers at intervals along their length and new plants are formed from these tubers. When first formed, the tubers are white and starchy with a sweet coconut-milk flavour, they become black and woody with age. Tubers can be up to 3cm in diameter.

Other uses of the herb:

The roots have been used to form the black part of the basket design. The roots were stained by burying them in the mud with ashes until a black colour was obtained.

Propagation of River Bulrush:

Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in 3cm of water. Only just cover the seed with soil. The seed usually germinates fairly quickly. Prick out the plants when large enough to handle and plant out in their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Fresh or brackish marshes and quiet water along streams and lakes, sometimes in water up to 1 metre deep, in western and eastern N. America.

Known hazards of Scirpus fluviatilis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.