Arctic Rush
Juncus arcticus
- Native to:
- Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Kuril Is., Labrador, Norway, Russia, Spain, Svalbard, Sweden, Switzerland, United States
Ettrig
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Juncaceae
- Genus:
- Juncus
- Species:
- Juncus arcticus
- USDA Symbol:
- JUAR2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 80 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- brown
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, waterfowl, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rhizomes following fire; often increases in abundance post-burn in wetland margins.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, nutrient-rich, organic soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in wetlands and marshes
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination and consistently moist conditions.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are mixed with sand and sown directly into target containers with a growing medium of 40:20:20:20 peat:composted fir bark:perlite:pumice and Nutricote controlled release fertilizer. Racks are sealed in plastic bags and refrigerated at 1 to 3 °C for 90 days. Cells are checked weekly and kept moist throughout the stratification period.
Establishment: Seeds may be collected by hand or with a handheld seed harvester. Care should be taken to keep capsules upright before putting in collection bag. Use paper sacks when collecting seeds for this species. The plant is widespread in temperate regions in the northern hemisphere, including wetland habitats, standing water, and seasonally dry places.
Source: npn.rngr.net