03 December 2023

Bulrush fruiting spikes

Look out for bulrush fruiting spikes. These dark brown long cylindrical inflorescence contain thousands of seed each with its own parachute to catch the wind. Bulrush grows up to three metre tall in swamps or standing water on the margins of rivers, lakes and ponds where the leaves and most of the stems are emergent. It often grows in dense stands which shelter nesting moorhen and mallard. In Ireland it was considered a fairy plant called fairy woman’s spindle nó coigeal na mban sí as Gaeilge.  It was used to make mats and baskets and is now used in floral arrangements. Bulrush is part of our native Irish biodiversity.