Chairmaker's bulrush
Scirpus americanus
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
high
Size
24"–48" H × 24"–48" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Native to
AL, AZ, CA, CO and 30 more states
Pollinators
wind pollinated
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaThree-square bulrush is an upright perennial sedge relative with triangular stems and inconspicuous, wind-pollinated flower clusters near the stem tips. It spreads by rhizomes in marshes and other shallow wet ground.
Wildlife value
Its flowers offer little to pollinators, but the dense stands provide important nesting cover and food for marsh birds and waterfowl.
Common questions
- How much sun does Chairmaker's bulrush need?
- Chairmaker's bulrush grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Chairmaker's bulrush bloom?
- Chairmaker's bulrush blooms in June, July, and August.
- Where is Chairmaker's bulrush native?
- Chairmaker's bulrush (Scirpus americanus) is native to AL, AZ, CA, CO and 30 more states, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What pollinators does Chairmaker's bulrush attract?
- Chairmaker's bulrush draws wind pollinated.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
Ready to grow Chairmaker's bulrush? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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