10/12/2026
Happy Mystery Monday! 🔎 Can you guess what is pictured in photo #1?
The answer to last week's mystery is Woolgrass, Scirpus cyperinus, pictured in photo #2.
Woolgrass, Scirpus cyperinus, is a large native wetland sedge often called a bulrush. Despite its grassy appearance, it is neither a true grass nor a rush, but a member of the sedge family. This perennial can grow up to 6' tall in large clumps along ponds, streambeds, roadside ditches, and other wet areas.
Woolgrass blooms in midsummer, and by fall its large flower clusters mature into reddish-brown, fuzzy seedheads that may reach six to twelve inches long. The individual seeds, or nutlets, are surrounded by bristles that give the plant its soft, woolly appearance. Even after the plant goes dormant, the standing stems and seedheads provide winter interest and valuable cover for wildlife.
This tough wetland plant spreads by creeping rhizomes and self-sowing, forming colonies that help hold soil in place and reduce erosion. It also provides food and shelter for waterfowl and other animals, and works well in rain gardens, low moist areas, and naturalized plantings alongside asters, goldenrods, and native shrubs. Historically, its stems were used for baskets, mats, shelters, and brooms, while the soft seedheads were added to mats and pillows. Young shoots, seeds, pollen, and rhizomes have also been used as food.
Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.
