SCIENTIFIC NAME: Scirpus validus (Scirpus tabernaemontanus)
COMMON NAMES: Softstem Bulrush, Great Bulrush, River Club-rush, Soft-stem Club-rush
BLOOM TIME: June, July, Aug
Tallest bulrush in Illinois at 4-8 ft. tall.
Erect hollow stem has spongy interior.
Terminates in a single flower up to 6 in. across and 6 in. long, consisting of 2-5 spikelets which are reddish-brown and hairy.
Pollinated by wind & spread by rhizomes.
Habitat: sun, wet conditions & mucky soil.
Common in north & central Illinois.
INSECT/ANIMAL INTERACTIONS: