Juncus usitatus Seeds | Common Rush
LATIN NAME: Juncus usitatus
COMMON NAME: Common Rush
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Common Rush (Juncus usitatus) is a rush in the rush family. Herb steadily grows into a dense, tufted clump, with a mature height of 30-60 cm. It does well in sun and moist, boggy ground. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
Juncus usitatus sits in the rush family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Common rush has a genuine and distinguished place in both ecological and botanical research. In practice, its long garden history means the grower inherits a plant of known and dependable habits.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Common Rush has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Ecologically, common rush is a graceful plant of the wetlands. A plant that has settled in will get along with only routine care.
Rushes weave baskets and mats, and their pith, Deng Xin Cao, is a classical Chinese herb for calming and gentle diuresis, once the wick of oil lamps.
Growing from Seed
Raising Common Rush from seed is straightforward. 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
Among the Juncus group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. It is generous with beginners and their occasional misjudgements.
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