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Bur-reeds (Sparganium)
The bur-reeds are a genus of aquatic plants that can be found in ponds, streams, and marshes. A very old genus, the bur-reeds were first mentioned in 1562. It is wide spread throughout the Northern and Southern hemispheres. There is great variation in the species which may be identified by their fruits. It flowers only occasionally through summer and fall. 
Lifespan
Perennial
Key Facts About Bur-reeds
Feedback
Attributes of Bur-reeds
Flower Color
White
Yellow
Green
Leaf type
Deciduous
Scientific Classification of Bur-reeds
Distribution of Bur-reeds
Feedback
Distribution Map of Bur-reeds
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Bur-reeds
Feedback
Basic care for bur-reeds includes semi-aquatic to fully aquatic environments with ample light and nutrient-rich soil. They thrive in temperatures typical of temperate climates. Common challenges involve managing spread as bur-reeds can be invasive, coping with rust infections, and mitigating potential leaf spot diseases. Seasonally, ensure bur-reeds has protection from frost in winter and sufficient water to mimic natural wetland conditions throughout the year, with particular attention during drier seasons.
Exploring the Bur-reeds Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common bur-reed
The common bur-reed is a perennial herbaceous plant that can reach heights of up to 1.7 meters. It grows rigidly upright and never floods. Unlike the dwarf hedgehog (Sparganium natans), there are no swimming blade forms. The plant has a powerful rhizome that is extensive, creeping, and starchy.
American bur-reed
American bur-reed is a perennial found throughout North America. It is a useful plant because it filters out nitrogen and phosphorus from water runoff. It can grow in shallow, slow-moving water. This plant is eaten by muskrats.
European bur-reed
European bur-reed (*Sparganium emersum*) is a semiaquatic plant often found growing in less than 61 cm of water. European bur-reed is a popular food for marsh wildlife, including many insects, waterfowl, and muskrats, who will often devour the whole plant.
Broadfruit bur-reed
Broadfruit bur-reed (Sparganium eurycarpum) is a perennial wildflower that can grow from 61 to 183 cm tall. It blooms in summer with both male and female flowers. Male flowers are round yellow balls of blossoms while yellow female flowers sit below the male blossoms and have a two-parted shape. Fruit develops in the female flower and has a beak-shaped tip. It is filled with seeds and turns brown as it ripens.
Narrowleaf bur-reed
The Narrowleaf bur-reed was aptly named for its thin, hair-like strands of leaves that float at the surface of water. It grows prolifically in low-nutrient bodies of freshwater, almost to the point of covering the entire surface. Interestingly, narrowleaf bur-reed produces both male and female flowers, allowing an individual plant to essentially fertilize itself.
Northern bur-reed
Northern bur-reed is a water-loving grass that occurs in shallow water and bogs. It prefers full sun and flowers in late summer. In some states in the USA, northern bur-reed is considered a noxious weed.
Branching bur-reed
Branching bur-reed, a freshwater perennial, flourishes in slow-moving or still waters. Distinctive for its globular, greenish-brown flower clusters, this plant also features long, narrow leaves that emerge from a stout, branching rhizome. The leaves often float on the water's surface, while the flowers rise above, attracting pollinators and signaling health and vigor. Adapted to its aquatic habitat, branching bur-reed plays a role in water purification and provides habitat for aquatic organisms.
Least bur-reed
This bur-reed has thin, flexible, grasslike leaves which float in the water. Plants that spend more time out of water at the waterline are tougher and have shorter leaves. The plant bears two inflorescences, the staminate type being a rounded white filamentous ball and the pistillate type a sphere of thick, green, pointy peduncles. The fruits are small green or brown achenes.
More Popular Genus
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Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Bur-reeds
Sparganium
The bur-reeds are a genus of aquatic plants that can be found in ponds, streams, and marshes. A very old genus, the bur-reeds were first mentioned in 1562. It is wide spread throughout the Northern and Southern hemispheres. There is great variation in the species which may be identified by their fruits. It flowers only occasionally through summer and fall.
Lifespan
Perennial
Key Facts About Bur-reeds
Feedback
Attributes of Bur-reeds
Flower Color
White
Yellow
Green
Leaf type
Deciduous
Scientific Classification of Bur-reeds
Distribution of Bur-reeds
Feedback
Distribution Map of Bur-reeds
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Bur-reeds
Feedback
Basic care for bur-reeds includes semi-aquatic to fully aquatic environments with ample light and nutrient-rich soil. They thrive in temperatures typical of temperate climates. Common challenges involve managing spread as bur-reeds can be invasive, coping with rust infections, and mitigating potential leaf spot diseases. Seasonally, ensure bur-reeds has protection from frost in winter and sufficient water to mimic natural wetland conditions throughout the year, with particular attention during drier seasons.
Exploring the Bur-reeds Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common bur-reed
The common bur-reed is a perennial herbaceous plant that can reach heights of up to 1.7 meters. It grows rigidly upright and never floods. Unlike the dwarf hedgehog (Sparganium natans), there are no swimming blade forms. The plant has a powerful rhizome that is extensive, creeping, and starchy.
American bur-reed
American bur-reed is a perennial found throughout North America. It is a useful plant because it filters out nitrogen and phosphorus from water runoff. It can grow in shallow, slow-moving water. This plant is eaten by muskrats.
European bur-reed
European bur-reed (*Sparganium emersum*) is a semiaquatic plant often found growing in less than 61 cm of water. European bur-reed is a popular food for marsh wildlife, including many insects, waterfowl, and muskrats, who will often devour the whole plant.
Broadfruit bur-reed
Broadfruit bur-reed (Sparganium eurycarpum) is a perennial wildflower that can grow from 61 to 183 cm tall. It blooms in summer with both male and female flowers. Male flowers are round yellow balls of blossoms while yellow female flowers sit below the male blossoms and have a two-parted shape. Fruit develops in the female flower and has a beak-shaped tip. It is filled with seeds and turns brown as it ripens.
Show More Species
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
