Woolgrass vs Hardstem Bulrush - TreeTime.ca

Woolgrass vs Hardstem Bulrush

Scirpus cyperinus

Schoenoplectus acutus

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Woolgrass
Hardstem Bulrush

Woolgrass is a native perennial sedge that forms dense clumps in wetlands, ditches, and along shorelines. Its ability to thrive in saturated soils and shallow water, combined with its spreading growth habit, makes it especially valuable for waterside & riparian plantings, erosion control, ecological restoration, and naturalization projects.

The distinctive spikelets are covered in brown woolly bristles, which is where it gets the name Woolgrass. It produces seeds that are eaten by waterfowl and small mammals, while its dense stems offer cover and nesting habitat. It grows most actively in spring and fall, slowing or going dormant in the summer heat.

Hardstem Bulrush is a tall, native perennial wetland plant that thrives in shallow water and saturated soils, often forming extensive stands in wetland and shoreline habitats. Well suited to riparian restoration, bank stabilization, shoreline protection, and naturalization projects, it spreads through underground rhizomes to form dense colonies.

Hardstem Bulrush’s tall growth provides valuable cover and nesting habitat for waterfowl, songbirds, and small mammals, while its late-summer seeds provide food for waterfowl and other birds.

Woolgrass Quick Facts

Hardstem Bulrush Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony-forming
Growth form: upright, colony forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - high


Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: brown woolly sedge, common woolgrass, common woolly bulrush, cottongrass bulrush, marsh bulrush, wool grass
Other Names: hard-stem bulrush