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| Torrey's rush - Juncus torreyi |
October
is the heart of the dormant season in Mother Nature’s Backyard. This is a pleasant time of year, but not a lot
is blooming. If you didn’t catch our
posting on ‘The Year in a S. California Garden’ (Sept/2014) you might enjoy
reading it. One of our showiest plants
right now is, surprisingly, a rush. Of
all the grass-like plants, Torrey’s rush is clearly the diva this time of year.
Torrey’s
rush (Juncus torreyi) honors Dr. John Torrey (1796-1873), American botanist and co-author (with
Asa Gray) of The Flora of North America.
It grows
wild in most of temperate North America, from southern Canada to northern
Mexico. In Los Angeles County, Torrey’s
rush can be found in the San Gabriel, Santa Susanna and Liebre mountains; it
once also grew along the L.A. River. Not
surprisingly given its wide geographic distribution, the physical (phenotypic)
characteristics of Torrey’s rush vary somewhat across N. America.
Torrey’s rush is a good example of a rush. Most people have heard of rushes. They grow in/near wetlands in most parts of
the world and are often used in basketry and other local crafts. But many people don’t know exactly what a
rush is and how it differs from other grass-like plants.
Rushes (family Juncaceae;
genus Juncus) are grass-like
perennials. Along with grasses and
sedges, rushes are monocots (monocotyledons), plants
with a single seed leaf. The other
large category of flowering plants, the dicots (dicotyledons) have two seed leaves.
Unlike grasses – which have flat leaves or ‘blades’
- rushes may have only rudimentary
leaves. Their stems are round in
cross-section. In fact, a good way to remember
the difference between rushes and sedges is the old saying ‘rushes are round
and sedges have edges’. Sedges, with triangular stems, do indeed have
edges.
Rushes have rather distinctive flowers, in five
whorls of plant parts arranged like spokes of a wheel around the flowering stem. The flowers are usually white or green-gold
to pinkish, small and not as showy as many common garden plants. That may explain why this group has received less
attention than it probably deserves.
In the wild, Juncus
torreyi grows in moist areas, including marsh and stream edges, in wet
meadows and around lakes/ponds. Because it
tolerates somewhat alkali and salty conditions, it can also be found in
brackish tidal marshes, alkali sloughs and other locations with moist, alkali
soils.
In colder climates, Torrey’s rush is usually a
slowly spreading component of a complex ecosystem that includes many species of
rushes and sedges. In warmer climates –
and particularly when competing wetland plants are absent – it spreads easily,
creating dense stands if conditions are favorable. In fact, this is one thing to remember when
planting Torrey’s rush.
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| Torrey's rush (Juncus torreyi) in fall - Mother Nature's Backyard |
The stems of Juncus
torreyi are a pleasant medium green.
In lowland S. California, the plants look best in spring and fall, when
days are sunny but soils a bit cooler than in summer. The stout,
un-branched stems are 1-3 ft tall, emerging from an expanding clump. The stems create a fountain-like cluster that
is neat and attractive (see above).
Torrey’s rush reproduces both vegetatively (via
underground stems or rhizomes) and by seed in western Los Angeles county. New plants from rhizomes emerge at distances
of six inches or more from the parent plant, often when the ground warms in
spring. You can dig them up when the ground is moist
and plantlets are small.
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| Torrey's rush - flower heads in summer are showy |
In addition to attractive green foliage, Torrey’s
rush has some of the most attractive flower and seed heads of any native
rush. Plants flower in summer – usually June
to July or early August in coastal S. California. The
flowers are arranged in spherical clusters, about ½ inch in diameter, which are
green-pink in summer. In fall, the
mature seed capsules, which are narrow and pointed, give the cluster a bristly
appearance. Their color, shape and size
are unique and showy (see below).
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| Torrey's rush: fall in Mother Nature's Backyard |
Torrey’s rush reproduces very well by seed in
lowland S. California. In fact, you may
find new little seedlings in moist areas of your garden. The tiny seeds are
spread by wind, water and even on the feet of waterfowl. Fortunately, seedlings are similar in appearance
to their parents and easily identified. We
suggest pulling them up when small and easily uprooted. Larger plants have tenacious roots!
Like
most rushes, Torrey’s rush likes full sun and regular to occasional summer
water. In our clay soil, we water this
plant every 2-3 weeks in the heat of summer.
Plants are not particular about soil texture and do wonderfully in
clay. They can tolerate slightly
alkaline and salty soils. This is a
very easy plant to grow, requiring only minimal effort. Old, yellowed stems should be removed in
early winter and the entire clump can be cut back to 2 inches to rejuvenate it.
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| Dead and dying leaves should be pruned out in early winter |
As
noted above, Juncus
torreyi spreads by both seed and rhizomes.
This is either good or bad depending on your needs. If you want to limit its spread, we suggest
planting it in a large container. You
will be able to enjoy its beauty while limiting its expansion. We suggest you read our posting on ‘Wetland
in a Pot’ for more tips: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2013/05/guilt-free-gardening-grow-wetland-in-pot.html
Anyone who grows Torrey’s rush needs to watch for seedlings
and remove unwanted plants promptly.
They can pop up any place that gets regular water, including in pots.
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| Torrey's rush in rain garden - Mother Nature's Backyard |
That being said, Torrey’s rush is a lovely addition
to the fall garden. It adds a decorative vertical element to the garden design. Its fresh green stems and showy flower/seed
heads are a welcome sight in fall. We
like Torrey’s rush in containers and around the edge of rain gardens and
infiltration swales. It’s a useful background
plant in areas that get a little extra water. The species is often used in wetlands restoration
projects, particularly in areas where its roots can stabilize banks. Birds - particularly Lesser Goldfinches in Mother Nature's Backyard - occasionally eat the seeds.
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| Torrey's rush borrows a little water from the neighbor's lawn Redondo Beach, California |
For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-juncus-torreyi
For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/juncus-torreyi-web-show
For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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