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Baltic rush

Juncus balticus

Summary 5

Juncus balticus, commonly known as Baltic rush or wire rush, is native to salt marshes in coastal New England, but has recently spread inland along heavily-salted roadways. It is a perennial grass-like herb that grows to a height of 2-3 feet.

Botanical Information 6

Juncus balticus is commonly known as Baltic rush. It grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. The plant has red/brown sheaths that are 0.5 to 6 inches long. The leaves of a rush can turn from red to light brown then to dark brown. The plant has an unusually thick stem. The Baltic rush fruits are found in capsules. The fruit capsule has at least 3 seeds in it, and is 0.5-4.5mm long. There are 5-50 flowers technically termed "spikelets" per inflorescence (panicle). The petals and sepals have a green middle (later becoming brown). Their anthers are a pale/yellow color. It blooms from late spring to early summer and lasts 1 to 2 weeks. They release their seeds during summer.

Ecological Information 7

Baltic rush can be found throughout the world, including North America where it is considered to be native. It's preferred habitat is along streams, rivers, and marshes, but it can also be found close to roadways that are heavily salted. The seeds of the Baltic rush provide food for waterfowl, songbirds, small mammals, rabbits, muskrat, porcupine, quail and gopher.

Ethnobotanical Information 5

The Baltic rush has been used for food and fiber by Native Americans. The Pauite people ate the seeds and also collected the sugar that forms along the top of the plants and ate it as a sort of candy. The stems specifically have been used by the Cheyenne as a fiber in basket weaving. The plant had also been used by the Northern Pauite to make fermented drinks. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

References 8

1.“Baltic Rush ( Juncus Balticus ).” United States Department of Agriculture. 12 April 2019.
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/juncus_arcticus.shtml

2.“Juncus Balticus ( Baltic Rush ).” Native Plant Trust. 12 April 2019.
https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/juncus/balticus/

3.“Baltic Rush” Illinois Wildflowers. 12 April 2019.
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/baltic_rush.html

4.“BALTIC RUSH Juncus balticus Willd.” United States Department of Agriculture. 16 April 2019.
https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_juba.pdf

http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/2038/

About the Author 9

Student author*: Gabriela (age 13) and Julie (age 13) from Albuquerque Sign Language Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Todd Ramsden, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Todd Ramsden
  2. (c) Alexis López Hernández, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis López Hernández
  3. (c) Raphaela E. Floreani Buzbee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Raphaela E. Floreani Buzbee
  4. (c) sboudreau, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  5. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  6. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juncus_balticus
  7. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  8. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  9. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Fruits capsules
Color purple
Uses edible
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