Flowering Rush
Butomus umbellatus
Family: Butomaceae
What it is like
Butomus umbellatus is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Pond margins, ditches and canals, avoiding shade.
Most of Europe, including Britain, and temperate Asia.
Conservation Status: Butomus umbellatus (Flowering-rush ) Status: Least Concern
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, China, Europe*, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, North Africa, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Tajikistan, USA, Uzbekistan.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Tuber - cooked. It should be peeled and the rootlets removed. The root can also be dried and ground into a powder, it can then be used as a thickener in soups etc, or be added to cereal flours when making bread. It contains more than 50% starch. Seed. No more details are given, but the seed is very small and fiddly to use.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 1
Butomus umbellatus is cultivated as an ornamental waterside plant.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Requires a sunny position. A plant of wet habitats, it succeeds in wet soils and in water up to 30cm deep. A very ornamental plant. The flowers have a scent of bitter almonds.
Propagating it: Seed - best surface-sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, it usually germinates in the spring. The seed quickly loses its vitality if it is not kept moist. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a tray of water in the cold frame, planting them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be planted direct into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are well rooted before planting them out in the summer.
Best place to grow: Pond; Bog Garden;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Wet, water
Things to keep in mind
This plant can be weedy or invasive. Invasive in the US. Connecticut - Potentially invasive, banned. Vermont - Class B noxious weed. Washington - Wetland and aquatic weed quarantine.
Its other names
Local names
Flowering Rush, Grassy rush, Water gladiolus, Vodoljub.