Friends of the Salmon River Seeks Help Tracking Mighty Phragmites

May 11, 2022

Invasive Phragmites is taking over wetlands and destroying the habitat of turtles, frogs, snakes and wetland birds. Citizen input is crucial to helping to ‘stem this tide.’

Invasive Phragmites (Phragmites australis or Common Reed) is one of Canada’s worst invasive species! It is a perennial grass that destroys biodiversity in wetlands and beaches; it alters the habitat and weakens the balance of local ecosystems. It grows in many ditches and along roadways. Phragmites spreads quickly and aggressively via its roots and seeds – one seedhead can produce up to 2,000 seeds per year!

We encourage people (anyone in Ontario) to report sightings of Invasive Phragmites on the Ontario Early Detection & Distribution mapping website, www.eddmaps.org or their app, or by phone with the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.

For more Information, see www.friendsofsalmonriver.ca. Also see our Phragmites social media posts on facebook and twitter.

Many thanks to Quinte Conservation for their help with this project.

Funding for this project is generously provided by the Invasive Species Centre.