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| ## basket grass {#basket-grass .Title-Header}                         |
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| *Schoenoplectus pungens* (M. Vahl) Palla                              |
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| Plant Symbol = SCPU10                                                 |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center & Idaho Plant
Materials Center, and the Skokomish Tribe

### 

####### Alternative Names

Known in most floras as *Scirpus pungens*. There are three known
varieties occurring in the U.S.: *Schoenoplectus pungens* (Vahl) Palla
var. *longispicatus* (Britt.) S.G. Sm.; *Schoenoplectus pungens* (Vahl)
Palla var. *badius* (J.& K. Presl) S.G. Sm.; and *Schoenoplectus
pungens* (Vahl) Palla var. *pungens*. This plant has many common names:
beach grass, sweet grass, American three-square, common threesquare,
bulrush, three-cornered "grass", three-square, and tule. This plant is
also known in some floras as follows: *Schoenoplectus americanus*
(Persoon) Volkart ex Schinz & R. Keller var. *monophylla*,
*Schoenoplectus olneyi* Gray, *Schoenoplectus monophyllus* Presl., or
*Scirpus americanus* Pers. var. *monophyllus* (J.& K. Presl) T. Koyama.

####### Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: The soft, spongy stems of basket grass were
traditionally used and are still used for basketweaving; the triangular
stems are commonly used for the bottom and 'ribs' of the round, wrapped,
and twined "grass" baskets made by first people of the west coast of
Canada and Washington. Tribes using basket grass include the following;
Nitinaht, Tsimshian, Kwakwaka'wakw, Swinomish (Skagit River delta area);
Quinalt, Quileute, Hoh, Makah (all coastal); Suquamish (Puget Sound),
S'kallam (Strait of Georgia and Hood Canal area); Lummi (Bellingham
area); Nuu-chah-nuulth (Vancouver Island); Nlak'pamax (Thompson tribes);
Tlinget and Haida (British Columbia), Twana (Skokomish), Chehalis, the
coast Salish (Susquamish), possibly the Duwamish, Nisqually, and the
Puyallup (Ryan pers. comm. 1999; Dublanica pers. comm. 1999; Storm pers.
comm. 1999; Kunlein and Turner 1991). According to Teresa Ryan (1999),
"Most of the Coast Salish used basket grass. My grandmother said that
she heard stories about canoes coming to (Coastal Salish areas) to
harvest basket grass. We are Tsimshian, from the
Northcoast."![](media/image2.png){width="2.895138888888889in"
height="3.7715277777777776in"}

Basket grass is apparently highly specialized in habitat. It occurs
along the muddy shores and estuarine marshes of the Cheewhat River, the
east coast of Vancouver Island, and the northwestern shore of Nitinak
Lake in Canada (Kunlein and Turner 1991). In Washington, basket grass
occurs in a large estuarine wetland in Bowerman Basin in Grays Harbor,
Skagit Delta, Stilliguamish River, Port Susan area in northern Puget
Sound, Willapa Bay, and the lower Columbia River (Dublanica pers comm.
1999). According to Teresa Ryan (1999) there are two basket grass
locations left in Washington that are "harvestable:" Bowerman Basin and
the Skagit River. Access has become an issue at Bowerman Basin due to
constraints from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who manage the area
as a wildlife refuge. The Skagit area populations have been threatened
by *Spartina* species. Native people are concerned about the decline of
basket grass and continued access to remaining populations.

The stems are harvested in August. When pulled, the stems simply break
off at the base, making a sort of popping sound. Cutting of the
materials should be strongly discouraged. The floral industry has been
harvesting basket grass at Bowerman Basin through cutting the materials
aboveground; areas have been observed in fairly large circular swaths
leaving a stem of upwards of twelve inches above ground. After
collecting stems, they are carefully bundled so that they will not bend,
then carried home and laid out to dry. Once dried, they are sorted
according to length and bundled for storage.

The pithy, cylindrical stalks were used to weave matting, as well as for
bedding and roofing material. As thatching material, basket grass was
spread out in bundles, tied together, then secured in place with poles.

Various indigenous peoples of Canada ate the fleshy rootstocks and
rhizomes (Kunlein and Turner 1991). The Kwakiutl used the stalks and oil
on a child's head to make the hair grow long and thick (Moerman 1986).

*Conservation*: Basket grass or common threesquare is especially good
for stabilizing or restoring disturbed or degraded areas, for erosion
and slope control, and for wildlife food and cover. Where it occurs, it
is widely distributed in wet ground.

*Wildlife*: The seeds, being less hairy and larger than cattail, are the
choice food for wetland birds: baldpate, bufflehead, mallard, pintail,
shoveler, blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal, greater scaup, lesser scaup,
avocet, marbled godwit, clapper rail, Virginia rail, sora rail,
long-billed dowacher, and tricolored blackbird (Martin et al. 1951). The
stems provide nesting habitat for blackbirds and marsh wrens. Snow geese
are known to utilize *Schoenoplectus pungens* on the Skagit Delta and
Bowerman Basin on their migratory flights (Ewing 1982).

####### Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status, such as, state noxious status
and wetland indicator values.

####### Description

*General*: Sedge Family (Cyperaceae). This herbaceous, rhizomatous
perennial has upright, triangular, and rarely concave stems. The stems
are erect to strongly arched and 1.5-10 dm in height and 2-6 mm wide in
the middle. The narrow (2-4 mm) wide, grasslike, basal leaves are all in
the lower third of the stem. Leaves are flat to slightly rounded near
the base, and become more cylindric toward the tip. The flowers are
lateral clusters of 1-7 sessile spikelets subtended by an involucral
bract that appears to be a continuation of the stem. The scales are
yellowish to reddish brown. Fruits are small, brown, lenticular achenes.
The systematics on this species or subspecies are very much in dispute
in the Pacific Northwest (Galen Smith pers. comm. 1999).

####### Distribution

For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this
species on the PLANTS Web site.

####### Establishment

*Adaptation*: Basket grass (*Schoenoplectus pungens*) occurs in playas,
salt marshes, freshwater marshes, ponds, streams, reservoirs, and lake
fringes below 2,000 m elevation. It is usually found in standing water
about 10-15 cm deep, and will tolerate alkaline and saline conditions as
well as freshwater. Basket grass can survive seasonal drought, when the
water table is more than 1 m below the surface. It grows in fine silty
clay loam to sandy loam soil.

In its native habitat, basket grass grows primarily in estuarine
wetlands. Due to the loss of estuarine wetland habitat throughout the
United States, it is rarely appropriate to harvest wild plants in these
areas. Wild plant collecting should be restricted to salvage sites with
appropriate approvals or permits. Basket grass populations are declining
due to loss of habitat and commercial use. Indian elders are quoted as
saying "Today basket grass has become scarce and is hard to find" (Ryan
pers. comm. 1999, Storm pers. comm. 1999, Dublanica pers. comm. 1999).

The following information on the propagation of basket grass is obtained
from the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Chris Hoag (1999), and Keith
Dublanica (1999).

*Propagation from Cuttings*: When wild plants are collected under very
controlled and specific conditions, no more than 4 dm ^2^, 13-15 cm deep
should be removed from any 1 m² area; the hole will fill in within one
growing season. Care should be taken not to collect plants from weedy
areas as these weeds can be relocated to the transplant site. In
addition, the hole left at the collection site may fill in with
undesirable species.

Planting plugs (either from the greenhouse or wild transplants) is the
surest way to establish a new stand of this species. Plug spacing of
30-45 cm will fill in within one growing season. Soil should be kept
saturated. Basket grass can tolerate 5-8 cm of standing water during the
first growing season. Fluctuate the water levels during the
establishment period to increase the rate of spread. Water levels can be
managed to both enhance expansion of the clone and to control weeds.

Basket grass can tolerate up to 30-45 cm of standing water if the water
level is fluctuated during the growing season. This species can tolerate
periods of drought and total inundation. This subspecies grows in the
high salt marsh, and can tolerate both brackish water and diurnal tidal
inundation. In non-tidal situations, water levels can be managed to
either enhance or reduce spread as well as to control terrestrial weeds.

The Skokomish Tribe is using a modified clam gun to gather wild
transplants from Bowerman Basin. The clam gun consists of a piece of
tailpipe with a T-handle and a siphon hole drilled on the top (Dublanica
pers. comm. 1999). The edges are sharpened and make a clean cut with the
tube approximately 1 foot long and three inches in diameter. Three to
twelve tillers are recovered per plug extraction. Transplant success was
highest in borrow pits within the diked complex at the Skokomish River
where *Schoenoplectus* remnants were already growing (*Ibid*.).

*Propagation by Seed*: Germination of this species is difficult. Seeds
ripen from late July through August. Seeds are held in the seed head for
a couple of months, if not disturbed by high winds, high tides, or
inundation. Seeds may be collected by hand stripping them from the plant
or by clipping the seed heads with a pair of hand shears. A power seed
harvester may also be used.

To clean the seed, use a hammer mill to break up the large debris and
knock the seeds loose from the stem. To clean seed by hand, run your
thumbnail along the stem, and then twist the seeds away from the larger
chaff. Cleaning can be accomplished using a seed cleaner with a No. 7
screen top screen and a 1/20 in bottom screen. Screens should be sized
so desired seeds will fall through and debris and weed seeds are
removed. Air velocity should b adjusted so chaff is blown away. Air flow
and screen size may require adjustment to optimize the cleaning process
for the given situation.

Seed germination is difficult in this species. Wide differences in
germination may occur between sites and between different years.
Fertilization, especially addition of nitrate, increases the number, the
weight, and the germination percentages of the seed. When collecting
seed heads, make sure the spikelets feel "full" and that the seeds have
developed. The germination rate may be enhanced by light scarification
and wet pre-chilling the seeds in a mixture of water and sphagnum moss
at 2ºC for 30 days. After pre-chilling, place the seeds on the soil
surface in pots or flats and provide light, moisture, and heat for
germination. Press seed into soil surface very lightly, and do not cover
seed. Plants will desiccate if the soil dried out, and will either fail
to germinate or die as young seedlings. The greenhouse should be kept
hot (32ºC - 38ºC). Germination should begin within a few weeks. Maintain
moisture until plants are to be transplanted.

####### Management

Insectivores have not been a problem with basket grass. Aphids will feed
on the stems, but will not kill the plant. If problems from an insect,
herbivore (such as small mammals), or disease should emerge, treat as
you would for any other plant species. Basket grass is tended by
gathering and reducing the density between plants to stimulate shoot
production. Fire was used to manage *Schoenoplectus* dominated wetlands
in some areas.

Traditional resource management of basket grass includes the
following: 1) shared ownership of individual patches and their output,
ensuring long-term care and enhancement of plant production; 2)
redistribution of plant wealth to basketweavers and elders; and 3)
individual patches and landscapes were burned regularly.

Bowerman Basin, one of the two remaining traditional gathering sites of
basket grass in Washington, is currently managed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service as a national wildlife refuge. They are processing
permit requests through tribal offices, and process a number of
gatherers. Tribal members don't feel comfortable with the permit
process, but recognize it's to guarantee access (Dublanica pers. comm.
1999). The USFWS are also providing Skokomish tribal representatives a
permit to collect plants to transplant to the Skokomish tribal lands.

####### Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

*Selected Materials*:

-   Market Lake Selection of common threesquare (*Scirpus pungens*),
    Accession Number 9057648, for Land Resource Region (LRR) B East from
    Market Lake Wildlife Management Area, north of Roberts, Jefferson
    County, Idaho.

-   Fort Boise Selection of common threesquare (*Scirpus pungens*),
    Accession Number 9057578, for Land Resource Region (LRR) B West from
    Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area, west of the town of Apple
    Valley, Canyon County, Idaho.

-   Malheur Selection of common threesquare (*Scirpus pungens*),
    Accession Number 9057610, for Land Resource Region (LRR) D North
    from Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, south of the town of Bums,
    Harney County, Oregon.

This species is available from most nurseries handling wetland plants.
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil
Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone
book under "United States Government." The Natural Resources
Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading "Department of
Agriculture."

####### References

Cooke, S. 1997. *A field guide to the common wetland plants of western
Washington and northwestern Oregon*. Seattle Audubon Society and
Washington Native Plant Society. 414 pp.

Dublanica, K. 1999. Personal communication. Skokomish Tribal biologist
and graduate student at The Evergreen State College.

Ewing, K. 1982. *Developing an environmental matrix for the Skagit River
delta*. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington.

Frenkel, R. 1994. *A reconnaissance of tidal islands at the Skokomish
River mouth*.

Gunther, E. 1973. *Ethnobotany of western Washington*. University of
Washington Publications in Anthropology, 10(1). University of Washington
Press, Seattle.

Hartmann, H. T., D. E. Kester, & F. T. Davies, Jr. 1990*.* *Plant
propagation principles and practices*. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs,
New Jersey. 647 pp.

Hickman, J.C. (ed.) 1993. *The Jepson manual. Higher plants of
California*. University of California press. 1400 pp.

Hitchcock, C.L. and A. Cronquist (eds.) 1973. *Flora of the Pacific
Northwest. An illustrated manual*. University of Washington Press.
Seattle and London. 730 pp.

Isaacson, R. T. 1993. *Anderson horticultural library\'s source list of
plants and seeds*. Anderson Horticultural Library. University of
Minnesota Libraries. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. 261 pp.

James, K. 1979. *Anthropological use of the Skokomish tidelands*.
Skokomish Consulting Services.

King County Department of Public Works, Surface Water Management
Division 1994. *Northwest native plants, identification and propagation
for revegetation and restoration projects*. King County, Washington.

Kunlein, H.V. & N.J. Turner 1991. *Traditional plant foods of Canadian
indigenous peoples.* *Nutrition, botany, and use*. Food and Nutrition in
History and Anthropology Volume 8. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
632 pp.

Leigh, M. (August) 1997. *Grow your own native landscape: A guide to
identifying, propagating, and landscaping with western Washington native
plants*. Environmental Protection Agency, The Washington State
Department of Ecology, and Washington State University Cooperative
Extension.

Martin, A.C., H. S. Zim, & A.L. Nelson 1951. *American wildlife and
plants. A guide to wildlife food habits*. Dover Publications, Inc., New
York, New York. 500 pp.

Miller, B. 1997. Personal Communication. Skokomish tribal elder.

Norton, H.H. 1981*.* *Plant use in Kaigani Haida culture: Correction of
an ethno-historical oversight*. Econ. Botany 35:434-449.

Rose, R., C.E.C. Chachulski, & D. Haase 1998*.* *Propagation of Pacific
Northwest native plants.* Oregon State University Press, Corvallis,
Oregon.

Ryan, T. 1999. *Personal communication*. Tsimshian tribal member and
University of Washington graduate student studying *Schoenoplectus
pungens/ S. americanus*.

Sheldon and Associates 1994. *Wetland inventory of the Skokomish tribal
lands*.

Smith, G. 1999. *Personal communication*. Professor Emeritus, University
of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Author of Cyperaceae treatment of North
American Flora.

Storm, L. 1999. *Personal communication*. Wetlands ecologist and
ethnobotanist for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Seattle,
Washington.

Turner, N. 1992. *Plant technology of first peoples in British
Columbia*. U.B.C. Press, Vancouver, B.C. 256 pp.

Turner, N.J., L.C. Thompson, M.T. Thompson & A.Z. York 1990. *Thompson
ethnobotany: Knowledge and usage of plants by the Thompson Indians of
British Columbia.* Royal British Columbia Museum Memoirs No. 3,
Victoria.

Turner, N.J., J. Thomas, B.F. Carlson & R.T. Ogilvie 1983*.*
*Ethnobotany of the Nitinaht Indians of Vancouver Island.* B.C.
Provincial Museum Occasional Paper No. 24, 165 pp.

Turner, N.J. & B.S. Efrat 1982. *Ethnobotany of the Hesquiat Indians of
Vancouver Island.* B.C. Provincial Museum Cultural Recovery Paper No. 2,
99 pp.

Turner, N.J. 1975. *Food plants of British Columbia Indians.* *Part I.
Coastal peoples*. B.C. Provincial Museum Handbook No. 34, Victoria.

University of Florida 1999. *Aquatic, wetland, and invasive plant
particulars and photographs*. Version: 000323.
\<http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/scipun.html\>. Center for Aquatic and
Invasive Plants.

USDA, NRCS 1985. *Western wetland flora: Field office guide to plant
species*. Wetland Science Institute, Laurel, Maryland.

USDA, NRCS 2000. *The PLANTS database*. Version: 000323.
\<http://plants.usda.gov\>. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana.

Vanbianchi, R., M. Stevens, T. Sullivan & S. Hashisaki 1994. *A
citizen\'s guide to wetland restoration.* U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Region 10. 71 pp.

Weinmann, F. 1998. *Unpublished vascular plant lists of the Skokomish
salt marsh and bog.* Washington Native Plant Society.

####### Prepared By:

###### *Michelle Stevens*

Formerly USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

*Chris Hoag*

USDA, NRCS, Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, Idaho

###### *Keith Dublanica*

Skokomish Tribe, Shelton, Washington

####### Species Coordinator

###### *M. Kat Anderson*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

c/o Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis,
California

Edited 05dec00 jsp; 03jun03 ahv; 060817 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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