The open plant encyclopedia
Snap a photo or search by any name to see how to care for it, where it comes from, whether it's safe, and a 3D model you can turn.
The plants people record most in your country, and ones that grow there wild.
Filter by what you want to do, shape, origin, country, care and safety.
Phragmites karka
Also called Tropical Reed, Asian Reed
Phragmites karka, the tall reed or common reed, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family. It is native to West Africa.
This species has a widespread distribution that includes West Africa, Southern Arabian Peninsula, Kenya, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. It is also present in New Zealand, where it is categorised as an invasive weed.
Locally, this species is utilised as a source of building and construction material, and as food. It is often planted near rivers to purify water, and as an anchor against soil erosion. The young shoots of this plant can be cooked and eaten, like bamboo or asparagus. The young leaves can also be used as fodder. The grass is also use for thatching and making screens, baskets, brooms, hats, mats, paper and reeds for musical instruments and fuel.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Phragmites karka by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
