River Club-Rush
Scirpus validus

Family: Cyperaceae

What it is like

Scirpus validus is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can grow in water.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Fresh to brackish marshes, fens, bogs, lakes, stream banks and bars, pioneering in disturbed places, often emergent in water up to 1 metre deep, from sea level to elevations of 2400 metres.

N. America - all areas except the extreme north.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - raw or cooked. Rich in starch. The root contains a meagre amount of starch. The sweet roots are eaten raw in mid summer. The bruised young roots, when boiled in water, furnish a sweet syrup. The rhizomes are 3 - 10mm in diameter. Young shoots - cooked. The tender base of the stem is eaten raw in salads. The pollen is used in soups or mixed with flour and used in making bread. It is rich in protein. Seed. No further details are given but it is probably ground into a powder and used in making bread etc. The seed is small and rather fiddly to harvest and utilize.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The root is astringent and diuretic. The stem pith is haemostatic. A poultice of the stem pith has been placed under a dressing in order to stop wounds bleeding.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.

Other

Rating:

The stems are used in weaving and basket making. They are used to make good quality mats for use on the floor, for sleeping on and for making temporary partitions. The stems are pulled off the plant rather than cut to ensure the maximum length of stem.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.

How it is grown

Succeeds in any wet to moisture retentive ground, pond margins and shallow water in full sun or shade.

Propagating it: Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in 3cm of water. Only just cover the seed with soil. The seed usually germinates fairly quickly. Prick out the plants when large enough to handle and plant out in their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Best place to grow: Pond; Bog Garden;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 6-9

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet, water

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. tabernaemontani. K.C.Gmel. Schoenoplectus validus. (Vahl.)Löve.