The Mighty Phragmites

Just read this article on Phragmites out of interest in using it as a building material and saw this portion about edible uses:

The young shoots have a mild taste and can be eaten as vegetables, and the same goes for the roots that are tangled with the spring growth. These can be eaten raw or steamed, as preferred. Overnight, injured stems ooze out sweet syrup which can, according to our German plant book, be eaten as candy! Later in the fall, the seeds of the plant can be gathered and ground into flour or, for those who like to have fresh wild veggies in the winter, the seeds can be sprouted on your window sill.

Has anyone tried any of these edible uses?  What do you think?  

I really want to try its young spring shoots now.  One of those "if you can't beat it, eat it" kinds of things.  Added to my list of things to try next year.

Oh goody, a rabbit hole! I have not eaten it yet, and had only heard of eating the seeds. Thank you!

I wandered around your suggested rabbit hole for a while this evening... Minnesota Wildflowers has a good way to identify the difference between the invasive australis and one of the native subspecies americanus. If you are whaking away at an existing stand of the invasive, it does not make any difference to the subspecies. If like me, you are investigating hauling in some seed to a one acre location... You really don't want to import a monoculture. The americanus variety has a larger spacing between plants, allowing for some diversity.



Here is a USDA field guide in PDF format. It has many additonal nuggets on differences. Americanus generally only grows to 7 feet tall. The PDF has a photo of a gorgeous Anasazi mat and seveal other artifacts from the native americanus.

Phragmites is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to clear fevers, coughing and congestion, and help with stomach issues such as vomiting.  The stems are used in this case. I've used them myself and they are a mild, but effective herb.

FYI the type used in TCM is Phramites communis or common water reed, which sounds similar to australis.

From the book of Native American Ethnobotany Phragmites australis was used to treat diarrhea, and the sugary sap was used in pneumonia to loosen phlegm and soothe lung pain. The stems were dried and beaten with sticks to remove the sugar crystals, seeds were used for food, and the sap collected and used like candy. It was also extensively used as fiber, splints for broken bones, making arrows, and a lot of other functions.

Very interesting plant.

I think bamboo is a type of phragmite. Sometimes found in oriental food.