Blunt Spike Rush

Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 119 animals.

Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Wood-pewee
Contopus virens
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Eleocharis

Bactra furfuranaRush Bactra
Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
Parapoynx allionealisWatermilfoil Leafcutter, Bladderwort Casemaker

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

14BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Eleocharis

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Anas creccaGreen-winged Teal
Anas rubripesAmerican Black Duck
Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
Antigone canadensisSandhill Crane
Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
Branta canadensisCanada Goose
Dendrocygna bicolorFulvous Whistling-Duck
Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule

Show all 14

Mareca americanaAmerican Wigeon
Mareca streperaGadwall
Porzana carolinaSora
Spatula cyanopteraCinnamon Teal

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Cyperaceae
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color: Dark green
Fruit begins: Spring
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Late April to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 1.6 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Light · “Full sun (6+ hours)” · Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide · Nursery cultural guide; height in flower; moisture categories retained as printed
Soil · “Wet; Wet-mesic” · Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide · Nursery cultural guide; height in flower; moisture categories retained as printed

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Blunt Spike Rush

At a glance

Natural habitats