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Looking for name of rush or reed type plant

19 years ago

A few years ago I got some black muck topsoil for my garden. In one area near my pond where I placed some of this soil, I have had a few rush or reed type plants that come up every year. I dug some up to move into my bog area but they did not make it. The plant has a white bulb that is 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter and has a single stem that grows out of it. the single stem grows to as long as 30 inches and tapers to a point. What makes this stem so unusual is that it has FOUR sides. If cut, it looks like a square with its sides somewhat caved in. The peat muck soil it came in is from a marshy area in southern Wisconsin. I have never seen a rush or reed type plant like it before.

Anyone know this plant?

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Comments (3)

pondwelr
19 years ago
Sweetflag, maybe? (acorus calamus) It sounds pretty unusual.
Pondy
jeffbc
19 years ago
Is this it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Square rush
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StonePyramid
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks jeffbc, I think that is the plant. It is called a squarestem spikerush and in reading info about it on that website it looks like it is listed as endangered here in Wisconsin. I'll have to try my best to keep it growing. I will try to contact the person I got the muck topsoil from to let him know he has endangered plants growing where he is getting the muck topsoil he is selling.

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