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Eleocharis acicularis
Needle Spike-rush, Slender Spike Rush, Hair Grass
| Next time you savor Chinese water chestnuts, give a nod to Eleocharis dulcis -- you are eating the crunchy tubers of a humble grass-like rush. Raised like rice in flooded fields, their reedy stems are sometimes woven into baskets, mats and hats. Eleocharis dulcis Variegata has yellow-striped leaves. Like the Carex Sedges, these simple grasslike plants naturalize by ponds and in marshy settings. Angles or grooves often add textural interest to the needle-like leaves. Pale or brown, round or columnar flower heads tip the reeds. Smaller species provide greenery for indoor aquariums. Easy to grow in mud or a slightly acid sand and clay mixture, with sun or partial shade. Keep moist. Eleocharis parvula grows as well in salty water as in fresh. Grow more Eleocharis dulcis by planting tubers, and root the upper stems of Eleocharis vivipara. Otherwise, grow from seed or by division. |
It forms a mat of bright green reeds with brownish flower spikes.
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Attributes - Eleocharis acicularis
Plant Type: Grass
Foliage: Evergreen
Height: 4 in. to 1 ft.
Width: 4 ft.
Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Climate: Zones 7, 8, 9, 10
Notes: Thrives in Acid Soil, Wet Soil.
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