Common Reed

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.

Grass family

Plant Type

Subshrub, Shrub, Graminoid

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

13.0 feet

Spread

3.0 feet

Flower Color

White

Bloom Time

Summer

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Intolerant

Water

Water Use Medium

Drought Tolerance Low

Flood Tolerance High

Soil

Soil Types Clay, Loam, Sand

CaCO3 Tolerance Medium

Fertility Need Medium

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance High

Salt Tolerance High

Climate

pH Range 4.5 – 8.7

Frost-Free Days 110 days

Precipitation 12 – 60 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

Pollinators Butterflies; Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth); Wind

Larval Host Gabara subnivosella, Ochlodes yuma, Poanes viator, Poanes viator zizaniae

Fall Color No

Evergreen No

Native Range

USA: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
CAN: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan
MEX: Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest

Regional Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.