Eleocharis acicularis Seeds | Needle Spikerush
LATIN NAME: Eleocharis acicularis
COMMON NAME: Needle Spikerush
Plant Profile
Needle Spikerush (Eleocharis acicularis) grows as a rush. Needle spikerush is fine, bright-green rush of wet places, one of easiest of pondside plants. It is a fine, easy, generous plant for pond edge, bog garden and shallow water, and it is a favourite of aquarists and pond gardeners. It is a plant of wet, moist, sunny ground. While it flowers, it feeds a quiet procession of bees and hoverflies. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the Eleocharis group, Eleocharis acicularis contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Needle spikerush has carved a quiet but solid place in plant science, and sedge has been studied for slender, upright stems and its fine place among plants of wet places. A long cultivation history means growers know what to expect from it.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Needle Spikerush earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Needle spikerush does a lot of work in pond and the garden. Slender, needle-like stems give aquarist a fine, natural look, and plant is one of easiest of pondside plants to grow. It has been written up in aquatic and horticultural papers for its fine, dense mats and its work in pond, and it is a fine, generous plant of wet, sunny ground. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
Water chestnut’s crisp corms are a beloved Asian vegetable, and the genus provides vital wetland habitat and traditional starchy foods.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Needle Spikerush, and the process is uncomplicated. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Given the right start, Needle Spikerush is a long-term garden companion. Once the young plants are away, there is little left to do but watch them grow.
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