Eleocharis acicularis, commonly known as Needle Spikerush, is a perennial herb that can behave as an annual in colder climates. It is native to a wide range of wetland habitats including marshes, shores of lakes and ponds, wet meadows, and stream banks across North America, Central Asia, South America, and Northern Europe. This plant typically grows to about 15 centimeters in height, with variation depending on environmental conditions such as bog presence. Needle Spikerush forms dense mats of grass-like stems from creeping rhizomes. It produces inconspicuous flowers that are less than five millimeters in diameter, arranged in single, sharply pointed spikelets at the stem tips during the summer months.

Needle Spikerush is valued for its ability to stabilize soil and filter water in natural wetland settings. It is also popular in the aquascaping hobby for creating a natural-looking underwater landscape. This plant requires full sun to thrive and does best in shallow water or saturated soil conditions, where it can form lush carpets of greenery. It is adaptable to a range of water conditions but prefers a high concentration of carbon dioxide for optimal growth. While it is generally low-maintenance, it can become invasive if conditions allow for unchecked growth.CC BY-SA 4.0