Green Bulrush vs Baltic Rush - TreeTime.ca

Green Bulrush vs Baltic Rush

Scirpus pallidus

Juncus balticus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Green Bulrush
Baltic Rush

Green Bulrush is a common waterside plant, suitable for erosion control and land reclamation. Despite this, Green Bulrush is very drought resistant once established. Bulrushes can cool nearby areas on hot days.

Unlike many of the other waterside plants available, Green Bulrush does not attract wildlife. This makes it a good choice for surrounding residential water sources.

Green Bulrush is topped with spiky balls of florets, green in the spring and fading to brown in the fall.

Baltic Rush is a widespread native perennial rush that forms dense clumps of upright, cylindrical stems. Well adapted to saturated soils, it is common in wetlands, streambanks, and riparian zones, and is tolerant of both fresh and saline conditions. Hardy and low-maintenance, Baltic Rush contributes to soil stabilization and enhances wetland habitats.
It offers cover for small animals, nesting habitat for birds, and limited forage for livestock when young and tender. Its dense growth and rhizome networks add structural diversity that supports wetland ecosystems, making it well-suited for riparian planting, shoreline stabilization, wetland restoration, and reclamation projects.

Green Bulrush Quick Facts

Baltic Rush Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: colony-forming, sometimes in lines
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Foliage: long thin whitish green
Flowers: green spiked clusters
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: cloaked bulrush, pale bulrush, pale-green bulrush
Other Names: wire rush, wiregrass