Share

Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Sparganium americanum Nutt.

American bur-reed

Sparganiaceae (Burr-Reed Family)

USDA Symbol: spam

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

An erect, grass-like, aquatic plant with zig-zag stalks bearing ball-like heads of tiny green flowers.

The Bu-reeds represent an important group of emergent plants that are partly in and partly out of the water; they frequently form dense stands along the edges of shallow lakes and ponds. The seeds are eaten by waterfowl and marsh birds, and muskrats feed on the entire plant. The Great Bur-reed (S. eurycarpum), which reaches a height of 7 (2.1 m), has 2 stigmas, not 1 as in the rest of the group; it is widely distributed. Floating Bur-reed (S. fluctuans) has a floating stem and floating ribbon-like leaves; it is found in cold ponds and lakes across Canada and New England west to Minnesota.

 

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Green, Brown

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NL , NS , PE
Native Distribution: Ontario east to Newfoundland, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Shallow water, muddy shores.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N), SPM(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Aquatic: yes
Soil Description: Clay, Loam, Sand

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Birds, Other Showy Insects
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sparganium americanum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sparganium americanum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sparganium americanum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back