Growing Bullrush
Growing Conditions
Grow these plants in the full, hot sunshine.
They thrive in constantly moist soils or will grow if submerged no more than 10-12 inches in water. So this is a bog plant and a shallow-water plant.
Note that this is a fast-growing invasive plant so do expect it to colonize and run around the garden a bit. This makes it excellent for stabilizing natural pond banks but ornamental water gardeners might want to grow it in large tubs to help check its exhuberant growth.
Hardiness
Generall, this plant is hardy to USDA zone 2. It is one tough plant.
Commonly found Varieties
T. angustifolia (Lesser Bullrush, Narrow-leaved Bullrush) grows to 6 feet tall.
T. latifolia (Great Bullrush, Cat Tail Bullrush) grows to 6 feet tall wider leaves than above. You may be able to find 'Zebrinus' with white stripes across the leaves and 'Variegata' with green stripes within the leaves in water garden shops.
Growing Bullrush as Cut Flowers
The tall seed heads make excellent cut and dried flowers but do follow a bit of advice here. Pick them early in the season just after they have formed. Dry them while standing upright. Seal with a laquer finish.
If you don't, (i.e. pick them late, don't dry properly or don't seal them) you may find the mature seed pod will suddenly break open (often explosively like in nature) scattering the down literally everywhere. It floats rather nicely so you'll be cleaning this one up for a while. :-)
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