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ers 100 percent of those areas. And it’s moved beyond the wetlands into uplands and sandy areas.” Reed canary grass Reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea, is a tall (three to six feet in height), sod-forming, cool season grass. It has sturdy hollow stems, flat leaf blades and flowers from late May to mid-June. Reed canary is aggressive, growing well in wet areas, withstanding flooding and drought, and forming dense stands. These characteristics have made the plant the most prevalent species in 48 percent of the wetlands in northeastern Illinois—to the detriment of many native species. Native to the temperate regions of Europe, Asia and the United States, reed canary grass occurred in the inland Northeast prior to settlement and is more widely represented today through introductions in agricultural areas as a forage species, component of lowland hay and tool for controlling erosion. While reed canary grass occurs in a range of moisture conditions, it grows best on fertile, moist or wet soils. With ditches and waterways acting as dispersal corridors, it can be found in a variety of wetlands—marshes, wet prairies, swales, stream banks and fens. A dense stand ofthe invasive reed canary grass grow s in a centralIllinois w etland. was common in a variety of wetland habitats and was dominant in 30 percent of all wetlands and 48 percent of Chicago-area wetlands. “Reed canary grass is the worst problem; it even keeps Phragmites (common reed) at bay,” said Wilm. Terry Moyer, land manager at Richardson Wildlife Foundation in Lee County, agreed. “When I started here in 1989 there were beautiful wet areas of bluejoint grass and native sedges,” Moyer explained. “The reed canary grass came in and exploded so fast that it now cov- Reed canary reproduces by seeds and creeping rhizomes. The plant’s growth peaks in mid-June and begins to decline by mid-August. A mix of control methods is being used—fire, foliar herbicide application and cutting or pulling the plants. Common reed Common reed, Phragmites australis, is found throughout the United States, but it is most prevalent in the eastern states, along the Atlantic coast, and the Midwest. “In Illinois, it is accomplished at taking over recently disturbed areas, especially those that have been surface mined,” said Wilm. Common reed is a grass that can reach heights of 7 to 9 feet. It has lanceolate leaves and flowers that are arranged in tawny spikelets with many tufts of silky hair. Seed set occurs throughout fall and winter and the plant spreads through rhizomes. The origin of common reed is unclear as it ranges throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Core samples indiReaching heights of7 to 9 feet,grow ths ofcom m on reed grass can quickly cover recently disturbed areas.