Schoenoplectus californicus, commonly known as California bulrush or southern bulrush, is a perennial herbaceous plant that thrives in wetland areas such as marshes, lake edges, and riverbanks. It is native to a broad range including the southern and western United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and has a notable presence on Easter Island and the Falkland Islands. This sedge is also naturalized in Pacific regions such as New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Cook Islands. Typically, it can reach heights of up to 10 feet (3 meters), featuring tall, thin, dark green stems with a distinctive triangular cross-section. The flowers are less conspicuous, presenting as woolly, bristly panicle inflorescences during the summer months.

California bulrush is valued for its ecological role in water filtration and providing habitat for wildlife. It is also culturally significant, as seen with the subspecies totora (S. californicus subsp. tatora), used by the Uros people of Lake Titicaca to construct floating islands. The plant’s buoyant stems have been utilized for over 3,000 years to make traditional boats like the Caballito de totora in Peru. In cultivation, it requires consistently moist or wet soil conditions and can tolerate a range of light exposures from full sun to part shade. While it is not typically prone to diseases, it can spread aggressively via rhizomes, which should be considered when planting in smaller water features or where space is limited.CC BY-SA 4.0