Phragmites: Native or Introduced

This newsletter describes the historical distributions of both native and introduced Phragmites. It details the invasion of the introduced type in North America (determined through genetic analysis), and morphological differences between the native and introduced types, as well as some commonly used control methods and their associated problems. Phragmites is thought to be one of the most widespread plants on earth. Phragmites is found on every continent except Antartica and is common throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Over the last 150 years, the distribution of this plant has increased across North America and this invasion has been attributed to factors such as disturbance, shoreline development, pollution, and eutrophication of waterways.

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