Sparganium americanum, also known as American bur-reed, is a perennial plant found throughout Eastern North America. Although when first observed the species looks like a grass, it is a type of bur-reed. American Bur-Reed is important for conservation purposes because the plant has the ability to remove nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from water like many other wetland species. By removing these elements from the water, American bur-reed protects waterways from excess nitrogen which can cause eutrophication. This increased nitrogen is especially a problem during the agricultural growing season when fertilizers are placed on crops. As fertilizer is being spread and adding extra nitrogen the the ground water; American bur-reed is growing and taking up nitrogen. The genus name Sparganium is believed to have been derived from the Greek word sparganon, meaning "a band," a reference to the strap-like leaves. American bur-reed received its common name from the appearance of the 'burred' seed pods that are created after flowering.
American Bur-Reed currently does not have any commercial applications. However, in the natural world, the roots American bur-reed plant create stability along the shores of waterways and wetlands, and many types of water fowl feed on the seeds and foliage.
Within the realm of naturopathic medicine and folklore, American bur-reed does not have any known medicinal value.
Please note that MIROFOSS does not suggest in any way that plants should be used in place of proper medical and psychological care. This information is provided here as a reference only.
The roots and stems of American bur-reed are considered to be edible.
American Bur-Reed is a monocot plant only having one seed leaf. Individual American bur-reeds can grow to be between 30cm to 900cm tall. American bur-reed plants produce white, rounded cluster, flowers during the summer months. The flower pedals could have a dark spot on them which may give the appearance of a darker flower. The flowers of the American bur-reed are monoecious meaning that individual flowers are either male or female and both sexes can be found on the same plant. American bur-reed flowers are pollinated by Wind. The leaves of the American bur-reed are green and are triangular in cross section; the leaves of individuals plants living in deeper water can produce floating leaves. American bur-reed spread rapidly through their underground root systems of rhizomes. The fruit found on American bur-reed have a dull surface with beaks that are between 2 and 5 millimetres long. These beaks may be straight, but some of them may be curved. It should be noted that before the flowers or fruits are visible on the American bur-reed, the plant may be misidentified as a grass.
| Plant Height |
300cm to 900cm |
| Habitat |
Shallow water and Muddy Shorelines |
| Leaves |
long and narrow with a triangular cross section |
 |
| Leaf Margin |
Entire (Smooth) |
| Leaf Venation |
Parallel |
| Stems |
zigzag stalks |
| Flowering Season |
May to August |
| Flower Type |
rounded clusters of scales |
| Flower Colour |
White, sometimes with dark spots |
| Pollination |
Wind |
| Flower Gender |
Female flowers (one stigma) Male flowers (five stamens) |
| Fruit |
Seed-like green bur-like heads |
| USDA Zone |
4B (-28.9°C to -31.6°C) cold weather limit |
No known health risks have been associated with American bur-reed. However ingestion of naturally occurring plants without proper identification is not recommended.
 |
-Click here- or on the thumbnail image to see an artist rendering, from The United States Department of Agriculture, of American Bur-Reed. (This image will open in a new browser tab) |
 |
-Click here- or on the thumbnail image to see a magnified view, from The United States Department of Agriculture, of the seeds created by the American bur-reed for propagation. (This image will open in a new browser tab) |
American bur-reed can be translated into the following select languages:
| Arabic |
الأمريكي بر-القصب |
Bulgarian |
American Бур-тръстика |
Chinese (Sim) |
美国车针簧 |
| Croatian |
Američki Bur-Reed |
Czech |
Americký bur-rákos |
Danish |
Amerikansk bur-reed |
| Dutch |
Amerikaanse bur-riet |
Esperanto |
Amerika Bur-reed |
Estonian |
American bur-pilliroog |
| Finnish |
Amerikkalainen BUR-ruoko |
French |
Amérique rubanier |
German |
Amerikanischen Igelkolben |
| Greek |
Αμερικανός τραχεία καλάμι |
Hebrew |
אמריקנית ספחת-ריד |
Hungarian |
American Bur-nád |
| Italian |
Americano bur-canna |
Japanese |
アメリカンいが、葦 |
Korean |
미국 버 - 리드 |
| Low Saxon |
|
Lithuanian |
Amerikos BUR-nendrių |
Norwegian |
American bur-siv |
| Persian |
آمریکا فرز نی |
Polish |
Amerykańska bur-trzciny |
Portuguese |
Americana bur-reed |
| Romanian |
|
Russian |
Американский бор-трость |
Slovak |
Americký bur-trstina |
| Spanish |
Americana bur-reed |
Swedish |
Amerikansk bur-reed |
Tagalog |
Amerikano tinik-tambo |
| Turkish |
Amerikan bur-kamış |
Ukrainian |
Американський бор-тростина |
Vietnamese |
Mỹ bur-sậy |
| The information provided in this conservation assessment has been provided by the Natureserve Database in conjuction with various federal, provincial, state, county, district, regional, and municipal governments as well as public and private conservation authorities. Information in this section is accurate from the last time this article was updated. |
 |
American Bur-Reed is ranked as 'G5' (common, widespread, abundant, and lacking major threats or long term concerns) in North America. |
 |
The MIROFOSS database offers free printable garden tags for personal and non-profit use. These tags can be used to properly identify plant samples in a garden. Click on the tags shown on the the screen or -click here- to download a full size jpeg image for an American Bur-Reed identification tag; which can be printed on paper or used with a plastic laser printer. |
 |
What's this?
This is a QR code (short for Quick Response) which gives fast-track access to MIROFOSS articles. QR Codes are barcodes that can be read by smart phone cameras. This QR Code is unique to this MIROFOSS article.
What can I do with it?
You can copy and print the QR code to a plant label, poster, book, web site, magazines, or newspaper so smart phone users can scan the QR Code which automatically takes them to this specific article.
|
| Description |
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 70. |
| Description |
Sulman, Josh. 2013. Sparganium identification key and species descriptions. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Botany. |
| Biology |
Kao, Jenny T., John E. Titus, and Wei-Xing Zhu. 2003. Differential Nitrogen and Phosphorus Retention by Five Wetland Plant Species. Wetlands Vol. 23, No. 4: 979-987. |
| Biology |
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR. |
| Image Rendering |
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. |
| Environment |
National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. pp 415-420 ISBN 0-375-40232-2 |
| Physical Identification |
National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. pp 415-420 ISBN 0-375-40232-2 |
| January 31, 2015 |
The last time this page was updated |
| ©2021 MIROFOSS™ Foundation |
 |
|
|
