species 6,699 observations

American Bur-reed

Sparganium americanum

Field notes

Sparganium americanum, American bur-reed, is a perennial plant found in the United States of America and Canada. Though this species resembles a grass, it is a type of bur-reed. This species is important for conservation purposes because it has the ability to remove nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from water, like many other wetland species. By doing this, it protects waterways from excess nitrogen which can cause eutrophication. This increased nitrogen is especially a problem during the farmers' growing season. During this same time frame the S. americanum is growing and taking up nitrogen.