Juncus ensifolius
Dagger-leaf Rush gets its name from its slender iris-like flat blades that create lovely clumps of upright vibrant green foliage in a rain garden or creekside landscape. Additional visual interest is created in late summer to fall when it’s ornamental, spiked seed capsules appear atop it’s slender stalks.
- Plant type/canopy layer: evergreen perennial, herbaceous plant
- Size at maturity: 1-2' tall, 1-2' wide
- Light requirements: prefers full sun, tolerates partial shade
- Moisture requirements: moist to wet soil, not standing water
- Bloom time: seed pods July - September
- Growth rate/ease: fast growth rate, easy to grow, spreads by rhizomes
- Wildlife support: seeds eaten by a wide variety of birds
- Native habitat/range: Common in wet areas across western North America. Portland Plant List - yes.
- Special features & uses: drought tolerant, erosion control and bank stabilization in wet/moist areas, groundcover
Gardening with Dagger-leaf Rush: Plant Dagger-leaf Rush in a full to mostly sunny area with moist to wet soil, such as a raingarden or bioswale, to take advantage of this plant’s extraordinary ability to filter run-off. Note however, although this plant adores wet soil, it does not tolerate long periods of standing water. So make sure the landscape area does drain between rain events. Also consider planting it in large swaths to capture the full effect of its unique seed capsules.
Photo credit 1: "2020.07.16_14.17.31_IMG_8348" by AndreyZharkikh is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Photo credit 2: "2012.07.14_12.04.45_IMG_8840" by AndreyZharkikh is licensed under CC BY 2.0