Needle Spike-rush

Eleocharis acicularis, commonly known as Needle Spike-rush or Needle Grass, is a versatile aquatic perennial found throughout the UK. It produces dense, tufted mats of very fine, hair-like bright green stems that can grow either submerged or emersed at the water's edge. Submerged, it looks like a lush underwater lawn, providing a perfect spawning site for fish and a foraging ground for aquatic invertebrates. When emersed, it produces tiny, brownish spikelet flowers at the tips of the stems in summer. It is a superb oxygenator and is often used in "natural" or swimming ponds to help clarify the water. It is fully hardy (H7) and adapts well to a variety of light conditions from full sun to partial shade. Due to its low-growing habit (typically 10-15cm), it is perfect for the foreground of margins or for covering the "shelves" of a pond.

Sun: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Silt, sand or aquatic compost.

Hardiness: H7 — below −20°C.

Flowering: Jul, Aug.