SimplePlant

Poaceae

Common reed

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steud.

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Phragmites

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsNot sure
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Common reed: Beschreibung : Schilfrohr ( Phragmites australis ) Fotograf : Darkone , 15. Dezember 2004
Photo: Darkone, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (73)
Afrikaans
Fluitjiesriet
Arabic
قيصوب جنوبي, الحجنة, بوص, حجنة, حشيشة الحجنة, عقربان, غاب, قصب
Armenian
Եղեգն սովորական
arz
قيصوب جنوبى
azb
قمیش
ba
Ҡамыш
Bangla
নলখাগড়া
Basque
Lezka arrunt
Belarusian
Трыснёг звычайны, Трысьнёг звычайны, Звычайны трысьнёг
Bulgarian
Тръстика
Cantonese
蘆葦
Catalan
Senill, Canutella, Canya-xiula, Canyavera, Canyeta, Canyissa, Canyissot, Canyot
Chinese
芦苇, 蘆葦, 兼, 毛叶石楠, 沙芦苇, 热河芦苇, 芦, 芦叶
Czech
Rákos obecný
Danish
Almindelig tagrør, Tagrør, Tækkerør
Dutch
Riet, Echt riet, Gewoon riet
English
Common reed
Esperanto
Aŭstrala fragmito, Ordinara fragmito, Ordinara kano
Estonian
Harilik pilliroog, Kõrkmed, Merihain, Pilliroog, Sonn, Vesiroog
Filipino
Tambo, Reed
Finnish
Järviruoko
fj
Kuta
French
Roseau, Phragmite commun, Canne à balai, Roseau commun, Roseau à balai, Sagne
frr
Raid
Galician
Carriza
German
Schilfrohr, Gewöhnliches Schilf, Schilf, Gemeines Schilf, Reet, Reeth, Reith, Reth
Greek
Καλάμι, Καλαμιά
Hebrew
קנה מצוי, קנה
hsb
Wšědna sćina
Hungarian
Közönséges nád, Telepi nád
Italian
Cannuccia di palude
Japanese
ヨシ, よし, アシ, 芦, 葦, 葭, 蘆
Korean
갈대
kw
Kors
Latvian
Parastā niedre
li
Reet
Lithuanian
Paprastoji nendrė, Roseau
Luxembourgish
Lësch
lzh
蘆
Macedonian
Трска
Malagasy
Bararata
Malayalam
ഞാങ്ങണ
mnc
ᡠᠯᡥᡡ, ᠯᠠᠩᡴᠠ
Mongolian
Эгэл нишингэ
mzn
لَ لِه
nah
Ācatl
Norwegian Bokmål
Takrør, Piperør, Rørgress
Norwegian Nynorsk
Takrøyr
nv
Lókʼaaʼ
pam
Timbu
Persian
نی, قصب
Polish
Trzcina pospolita
Quechua
Suqus, Soqos, Sukcha
Romanian
Stuf, Trestie
rsk
Над
rup
Stufu
Russian
Тростник обыкновенный, Тростник южный
Serbian
Трска
Serbian (Latin)
Obična trska
sgs
Mindrė, Lendrė, Nendrė, Paprastuojė nendrė
Slovak
Trsť obyčajná
Slovenian
Navadni trst
Spanish
Cana borda, Cana borde, Cana de rio, Cana de río, Canafifla, Canilga, Caniza, Canuela de cespedes
Swahili
Tete
Swedish
Bladvass, Arrundo phragmites, Roseau, Rö, Rörvass, Vass, Vass-släktet, Vasstrå
szy
Hinaliti
tay
Lmiquy
Turkish
Kamış
Ukrainian
Очерет звичайний, Очерет, Тростина звичайна
Uzbek
Qamish
Welsh
Corsen cyrs
Western Frisian
Reid
wuu
芦苇

Synonyms

  • Arundo australis Cav.
  • Arundo donax Forssk.
  • Arundo phragmites var. flavescens (Custer) Asch.
  • Arundo phragmites var. stenophylla (Boiss.) Asch. & Graebn.
  • Arundo pumila (Willk.) Schweinf. & Asch.
  • Cortaderia pilosa var. pilosa
  • Phragmites altissimus (Benth.) Mabille ex Debeaux
  • Phragmites arundinacea Allam. ex Munro
  • Phragmites australis var. stenophylla (Boiss.) Bor
  • Phragmites communis f. minor Hack.
  • Phragmites communis f. piliferus Ohwi
  • Phragmites communis f. repens G.Mey.
  • Phragmites communis f. subnudiflorus (DC.) Asch. & Graebn.
  • Phragmites communis subsp. hispanicus (Nees) K.Richt.
  • Phragmites communis subsp. maritimus (Mabille) K.Richt.
  • Phragmites communis var. arundinaceus (Licht. ex Roem. & Schult.) Conert
  • Phragmites communis var. flavescens Schoenef.
  • Phragmites communis var. hispanicus (Nees) K.Richt.
  • Phragmites communis var. isiacus Engl.
  • Phragmites communis var. isiacus Griseb.
  • Phragmites communis var. maritimus (Mabille) Gaut.
  • Phragmites communis var. pumilus (Willk.) Hack.
  • Phragmites communis var. stenophylla Boiss.
  • Phragmites communis var. subnudiflorus (DC.) Mert. & W.D.J.Koch
  • Phragmites dioica Hack. ex Conert
  • Phragmites isiacus (Custer) Rchb.
  • Phragmites maximus Mabille
  • Phragmites phragmites H.Karst.
  • Phragmites phragmites var. flavescens (Custer) Druce
  • Phragmites stenophyllus (Boiss.) Rouy ex Prain
  • Phragmites vulgaris var. humilis (De Not.) Brand
  • Phragmites vulgaris var. longivalvis (Steud.) W.Wight
  • Phragmites vulgaris var. subuniflorus (DC.) Druce

Flowers

Flower colour
white (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Graminoid, Shrub, Subshrub
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Canada: native, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native

Photos

More in Phragmites

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.