Description of Juncus inflexus (Hard Rush)

Juncus inflexus is a UK native rush with upright, blue-green stems. It is usually sold as hard rush or blue-green rush. It is one of those plants that quietly makes everything around it look more put together. It also stays useful in winter.

Appearance

Hard rush forms a tight clump of smooth, cylindrical stems. The colour leans blue-grey, especially in sun. In summer you may notice small brown flower clusters sitting off to the side of the stems. It typically reaches 60 to 100cm tall and slowly thickens into a larger tuft.

Care Guide

Give it constant moisture and it will do the rest. It is happy in boggy soil and also in shallow water at the pond edge.

• Sun: Full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Clay and heavy soils suit it. It also grows well in aquatic baskets.
• Water level: Wet ground, or shallow water over the crown.
• Tidy up: In late winter, pull out dead stems by hand or cut the clump back to fresh growth.
• Divide: Split big clumps in spring if the centre starts to thin.

If you want a neat look, plant it in a basket and sink the basket into the bog. That keeps the clump where you want it.

Suitability for Bog Garden

Juncus inflexus is a great backbone plant for bog gardens. Use it as a vertical marker at corners, by stepping stones, or behind lower flowers like primroses.

It also helps wildlife. Dense stems give cover for froglets and a place for dragonflies to perch. In a windy garden, a line of hard rush can soften the edge of a pond without blocking the view.

Spacing tip: plant clumps about 30 to 45cm apart if you want a band, or use single clumps as punctuation points.

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