How to Get Rid of Phragmites or Reed Grass From Your Lawn

In small amounts, phragmites can be beneficial as wildlife habitat—but the much more common dense growths provide no tangible benefit to native species, often impeding the local ecosystem. Ways they impact the environment include:

• A thick layer of wrack can form when the plant’s lower leaves die off, preventing native plants from germinating.
• Its stalks can clog waterways, which can hinder fish travel.
• They can also affect the nesting habit of saltmarsh sparrows, a bird species that is threatened to be extinct by 2050.

When attempting to control phragmites, it’s important to remember that both the native and invasive varieties are found in Maryland and Northern Virginia. 

• Invasive phragmites are usually dull tan in color while the far more rare native species display a slightly red or purple hue.
• Additionally, invasive phragmites’ stems spread horizontally while the native ones tend to grow more vertically and their leaves hug the stem tightly.

Tracing the history of the invasive phragmites can be difficult. Still, historians and botanists agree that they arrived on our shores in ship ballast material sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s. They likely originally arrived in the region with European colonists, but some varieties may also have come from Central or South America via trade. However they got here, though, it didn’t take long for them to find a home on the Chesapeake Bay.

As a non-native species, phragmites don’t have many native predators, though a few native waterfowl and Canadian geese are known to consume their seeds. Interestingly, one of the most effective animals in the fight against invasive phragmites is the humble goat! With their rugged teeth, voracious appetites, and ability to digest even the toughest plant matter, goats are an ideal candidate when it comes to clearing dense patches of phragmites. While controlled goat grazing doesn’t eliminate phragmites, it does allow native plants to move into newly cleared patches and reclaim the land.

One of the phragmites’ most significant advantages over both native and other invasive species is how fast it grows, with vertical growth measuring as much as 15 inches a year. Even worse are its runners, often referred to as stolons—these can grow 4 inches a day, aiding the plant in its rapid spreading. It’s little wonder then that phragmites pose such a serious threat to our local wetlands.

Another potent weapon in phragmites’ arsenal is their root systems. They grow in dense, difficult-to-remove clusters that can often reach depths of over 6.5 feet. Similar to dandelions or Queen Anne’s lace, removing the above-ground growth won’t kill, as the plant will just come right back.

Cutting down phragmites is only effective after the application of spray treatments. Due to their deep roots and ability to regrow quickly, simply cutting down the stalks is not a viable control method. Once the proper amount of time has passed after herbicidal treatment though, usually, 3-4 weeks, proper cutting that leaves only a 6-inch stump behind can make a difference and curb their spread.

As we said before, the window to treat phragmites is a narrow one indeed. The only time that treatments have been shown to work is in late July through October depending on weather, however, a permit is required which needs to be obtained in advance. Additionally, treatment must be repeated every year if it is to work over a long period of time.