Скачать или смотреть Rush: a grass imposter!

Maybe you have heard the memory or identification phrase “Rushes are round, Sedges have edges and Grasses are hollow”. This phrase refers to a monocot group of flowering plants that all resemble grasses. And, each group is a challenge to identify!
Today we are going to look at a particular Rush plant that you may see in your local park. The Poverty Rush thrives in poverty soil, Juncus tenuis. This rush is one of many but it is a member of the largest genus of rushes, Juncus. Poverty Rush can be found all over the US and Canada in saturated soils that are composed of either clay or sand. The plant lives up to the common name, Poverty Rush, due to it’s high tolerance for compacted soils. The plant thrives along heavily hiked, compacted trails that receive mostly full sun, and thus another common name is Path Rush. This rush is also common in livestock and equine areas that get frequent animal traffic.
To identify the rush plants look for round flowering stems, a more erect habit than grass and distinctly rigid leaves and stems. These rigid characteristics make them a challenge for the lawn mower blades. See if you can find these common grass imposters!

Joyce Browning Horticulturist, Master Gardener Coordinator
Video credit: Bethany Evans Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program Alumni; CPH

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