Juncus are also known/sold as Rush or Bog Rush are plants of very damp soils but not usually in standing water.
Of the approximately 225 species found in nature, most have absolutely no redeeming value in an ornamental garden being flattened or insignificant bits of greenery, unless you happen to like flattened bits of grass-like plants of course.
Common Varieties
- J. effusus is one of the best (and most commonly found) good guys that give the banks of your backyard ponds an upright but softened look. Growing approximately 3-feet tall in the full sunshine, they produce brown flower heads in the fall (not really ornamental but interesting). Note that this is the species of rush that are cut, dried and woven into mats or tatami in Japan. Hardy to USDA 4
- J. effusus‘Spiralis’ or corkscrew rush is readily sold in garden centers as well and this variety corkscrews upwards making a lovely water edge plant. There are varieties with gold stripes up the leaves as well now and these are more delicate than the species. Generally hardy to USDA 5 (I’ve lost them several times in a USDA 4)
- J. ensifolius is not often available but it is a smaller tufted species that looks like grass tufts beside the pond.
Cultivating Juncus
Propagation is by division or seed in the species, early spring division in hybrids.
Grow in full sunshine in damp soils.