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Taxon  Report  
Phragmites australis  (Cav.) Steud.
Common reed
Phragmites australis is a perennial grasslike herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
This plant can be invasive in parts of California.

Note:There are both native and non-native populations of Phragmites australis growing in California, and are difficult to distinguish
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
bloom graphic
Bloom Period
Genus: Phragmites
Family: Poaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Communities: Creosote Bush Scrub, Alkali Sink, Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland, wetland-riparian, many plant communities

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS
Alternate Names:
JEF + PLANTSPhragmites australis var. berlandieri
JEFPhragmites berlandieri
PLANTSPhragmites communis ssp. berlandieri
JEF + PLANTSPhragmites communis var. berlandieri
JEF + PLANTSPhragmites communis
...
Information about  Phragmites australis from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (PHAU7)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

Phragmites Field Guide: Distinguishing native and exotic forms of Phragmites australis in the United States. Jil Swearingen and Kristin Saltonstall (Plant Conservation Alliance)

Cal-IPC 2006: Species Native to Part of California, but Invasive in Other Parts of the State

Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 02/06/2023).