Sparganium eurycarpum aka Broad Fruit Burr Reed

Sparganium eurycarpum is known as giant burreed. It is a perennial, so it lives for more than one year. Kew lists it in the family Typhaceae. Its native range includes the Russian Far East and Japan. In North America, its range reaches south to Mexico. Chicago Botanic Garden lists it as native to the Midwest too. The RHS says it is not native to Britain and Ireland. Kew places it in the temperate climate zone. Together, these records place its native range in both Asia and North America.

Chicago Botanic Garden says giant burreed has an upright form. Kew calls it a helophyte, a wetland growth form. This means it grows in marsh or water-edge settings. The supplied records for this species give no full-grown height. They give no full-grown width or age at full size either. The RHS gives leaf and fruit details for the genus. A genus is a group of related species. Those details do not show what leaves or fruit this species has.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists white flowers in July and August. In that garden's account, the plant thus blooms in summer. The source gives no more detail on each flower. It gives no account of fruit or seeds for this species. Its wildlife entry says that the plant draws birds. It does not name them or say how they use it. Its value to birds is thus part of its garden worth. Claims that birds use it for food or nests need more evidence.

For garden care, Chicago Botanic Garden lists sun or part shade. Its soil entry calls for moist soil, not dry ground. This fits the wetland growth form that Kew lists. Chicago gives USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8. The supplied sources give no more exact soil or pH needs. They do not say how fast it grows or spreads. They give no details on pruning, division, pests, or diseases. No evidence here shows edible parts or medical uses for this species. The records give no clear finding on toxicity either. These gaps do not mean the plant is safe. Chicago keeps its entry in an archive and no longer updates it.