Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Cyperaceae

Genus:

Cladium

Species:

Cladium mariscoides

USDA Symbol:

CLMA

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Graminoid

Height:

100 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

jun,jul,aug,sep

Bloom Colors:

brown

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

waterfowl, songbirds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rhizomes following fire. Common in fire-maintained wet prairies and sedge meadows.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

wet, peaty, nutrient-poor soil

pH:

4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist to wet

Notes:

commonly found in bogs and fens

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

14–42 days

Notes:

Requires consistently wet or saturated conditions for germination. Seeds may remain viable in wet seed banks.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI