Tall Manna Grass vs Water Arum - TreeTime.ca

Tall Manna Grass vs Water Arum

Glyceria grandis

Calla palustris

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Tall Manna Grass
Water Arum

Manna Grass and other waterside plants are an excellent way to prevent erosion and provide habitat and forage for animals. The difference is that Manna Grass looks better doing it! With distinctive purple grains at the top of its stalks, Manna Grass adds a splash of color to the waterside that most other aquatics can't offer.

Manna Grass is good for returning disturbed sites to nature and provides nourishment to many animals, except for cattle who find it toxic.

Water Arum is a native perennial wetland plant known for its showy white oval sheaths (spathe) that surround a yellow-green, cylindrical flower spike (spadix). It has large, oblong, heart-shaped leaves on stems that rise above the water from shallow, spreading rhizomes. The blossoms are followed in late summer by tiny, pear-shaped fruits that ripen to bright red, adding ornamental interest to wet habitats.

Water Arum provides food for birds and small mammals that eat its berries, and its flowers attract pollinators. It can tolerate cold climates and forms colonies in shallow water and saturated soils. It is well-suited for ecological restoration, riparian planting, naturalisation, and habitat projects in wet and shaded environments.

Tall Manna Grass Quick Facts

Water Arum Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: medium

Toxicity: toxic to cattle

Toxicity: toxic if ingested
Foliage: long thin leaves
Flowers: purple
Flowers: white sheath around and yellow spike
Bloom time: spring to summer
Berries: red, in clusters
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: american manna grass, reed manna grass
Other Names: bog arum, swamp lily, wild calla, wild dragon