Juncaceae: Juncus torreyi
Family Name
Juncaceae
Common Name
Torrey’s rush
Description
Juncus torreyi is a perennial herbaceous rush form loose colonies from a creeping rhizome, with stiffly erect, unbranched culms 30-80 cm tall. There are 1-3 basal leaves and 2-5 alternate leaves on the culms. Leaves are round in cross-section, often longer than the culms, with cross partitions at regular intervals. The sheath is open at the front with a pair of rounded lobes, 1-4 mm long. The inflorescence consist of 1-many flower heads in a tight cluster at the top of the stem. Each flower head is 1-1.5 cm in diameter, round, with up to 100 flowers. Each flower has 6 tepals, green to straw-colored, drying to dark brown, in 2 whorls, the outer set longer than the inner set. There are 6 stamens, a 3-parted style and the fruit is a capsule. Torrey’s rush blooms from June into October along lakes, streams in wet prairies and ditches throughout South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed collection: Seeds ripen in the fall when the capsules turn dark brown.
Germination: The seeds are small and require light to germinate. Sprinkle them on the surface in the fall, as they need a cold period to break dormancy.
Light: Full sun is best but can tolerate partial shade.
Soil: Sands, loams, silts, and clays. Can tolerate shallow water.
Water: Moist to wet.
Additional Notes
Torrey’s rush is a perennial, grass-like plant that prefers moist, wet soil areas and is a good choice for landscaping and riparian restoration. Its rhizomatous nature makes it good for soil stabilization and shoreline restoration. It provides texture and fall color to a native plant garden and its brown seedheads attract birds and small mammals in late summer and fall.