Common Rush

Common Rush (Juncus usitatus) is an eastern Australian native that solves the wet corner nothing else will take. Fine, upright green stems build a tidy clump about 90cm tall and 60cm wide that stands happily in waterlogged ground, then rides out the dry months once the water recedes. Few plants handle both extremes, and fewer still look this architectural doing it.

Why you'll love it

• Wet feet are its specialty. Soggy ground, drainage lines and pond edges that rot other plants are exactly where it belongs.
• Dry spells do not kill it either. Established clumps are drought tolerant, so a bed that swings between soaked and bone dry holds no fear.
• A true Australian native. It slots naturally into habitat plantings, rain gardens and native garden designs.
• Fast and low maintenance. It establishes quickly, needs no regular feeding, and asks for a tidy up only every few years.
• Vertical texture. The fine, reed like stems give the clean upright line designers use against strappy and mounding plants.

Where it works best

Rain gardens and damp beds. Plant 50cm apart for massed cover in the spots that stay wet after rain: drainage swales, downpipe outlets and dam or pond margins.

Borders and coastal gardens. It holds its colour in salt wind, and a repeated line of clumps makes a clean, contemporary border.

Pots and water features. It grows happily in a pot with the saucer kept topped up, including at the edge of a water feature.

Growing Common Rush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun suits it best. It grows from the tropics through subtropical and warm temperate regions into cool temperate gardens, and it is frost hardy, so it can be used across most of the country.

Soil. Unfussy about texture. It tolerates waterlogged clay, seasonal inundation and ordinary garden beds alike; moisture matters more than soil type while it establishes.

Water and feed. Keep it damp for the first few months. After that, wet positions need nothing and drier beds need only an occasional deep soak. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring is optional rather than necessary.

Pruning. None routinely. Every few years, cut tired clumps back hard in late winter and let fresh stems replace the old.

What to expect when it arrives

Common Rush is sold as single tubes and as 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes suit large rain garden and dam edge projects where quantity matters; the 140mm pack gives established clumps and a much faster finished look. Rushes travel well and transplant without sulking.

Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. In warm weather expect new stems within weeks, and every plant is backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse Australian native plants
• Grasses and strappy leaf plants
• Plants for mass planting
• Plants for coastal gardens

Common questions

Will it grow in standing water?

It thrives in waterlogged soil and shallow water at pond and dam edges. It is equally content in an ordinary garden bed, which is exactly what makes it so useful.

Does it spread or become invasive?

It forms a clump and may self sow into bare, damp ground nearby. Within its native eastern Australian range that is rarely a concern, and unwanted seedlings pull out easily while young.

How far apart should I plant it?

50cm apart for mass planting in a rain garden or damp bed. As a fast grower, the clumps meet within a season or two at that spacing.

Does it attract frogs?

Dense stands at a pond edge give frogs the cover they look for, so it is a standard inclusion in frog friendly garden designs.

Western Australia: this species has escaped from gardens and naturalised in WA, where it competes with local bushland plants. We do not recommend it for gardens in the south west of WA. Please choose a local alternative.