Bluejoint vs Knotted Rush - TreeTime.ca

Bluejoint vs Knotted Rush

Juncus nodosus

Calamagrostis canadensis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Knotted Rush
Bluejoint

Knotted Rush is a native perennial wetland plant found growing in marshes, swamps, wet meadows, and along shorelines. It spreads by underground rhizomes to form colonies, which can also help stabilize soils and shorelines.

Its upright, slender stems and small clusters of greenish-brown seed heads add structure to wetland plant communities. Knotted Rush is well-suited to wetland conservation, rain gardens, naturalization, and restoration projects. As a cool-season grower, it grows actively during spring and fall, when temperatures are cooler.

Bluejoint is a native perennial grass that forms tall, dense colonies. It is one of the most abundant grasses found in Canada and the United States. The extensive shallow root system and spreading rhizomes help stabilise soils, especially in wet meadows, marshes, and along streambanks.

It is a cool-season grass, growing most actively in spring and fall and slowing during the heat of summer. Seeds from its purple-tinged spikes feed birds and small mammals, and the plant itself provides forage for wildlife and livestock, though it does not tolerate heavy grazing. Its tall, dense growth also offers nesting habitat for wetland birds. With these combined values, Bluejoint is well-suited for naturalisation, riparian plantings, and habitat restoration projects.

Knotted Rush Quick Facts

Bluejoint Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 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: medium
Growth form: upright, colony forming
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - high


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, NU, PE
Other Names: bluejoint grass, bluejoint reedgrass, canada blue joint, canada reedgrass, marsh reedgrass