Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Grass or grass-like · Cyperaceae

Slender spikerush

Eleocharis tenuis · includes its varieties and subspecies

Slender spikerush is recorded as native to 30 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 535 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Slender spikerush at a glance

Native in
535 counties, across 30 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness
Zone 5a PLANTS minimum temperature −23°F
Mature height
2.9 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water
Full sun (shade-intolerant) Low water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 5a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −23°F; zone 5a winters bottom out at −20°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Slender spikerush is recorded as native to 30 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 535 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 535 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit
Graminoid
Duration
Perennial
Mature height
2.9 ft
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth form
Rhizomatous
Shape
Erect
Lifespan
Moderate
Active growth period
Spring

Light and water

Shade tolerance
Intolerant (full sun (shade-intolerant))
Moisture use
Low water use
Drought tolerance
Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil
Medium
Precipitation range
24 to 60 in per year

Soil

Soil textures
Coarse, medium and fine
pH range
6.2 to 7
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
Low
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
Medium
Minimum root depth
14 in

Climate

Minimum temperature
−23°F
Estimated cold hardiness
Zone 5a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days
120
Fire tolerance
Medium

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color
Brown
Showy flowers
No
Bloom period
Late Spring
Foliage color
Dark Green
Showy in fall
No
Keeps leaves
No
Fruit color
Green

Other

Toxicity
None
Nitrogen fixation
None
Nursery availability
No Known Source
Family
Cyperaceae
PLANTS symbol
ELTE

Is it native where you live?

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope
Eleocharis tenuis (PLANTS symbol ELTE), including 2 varieties and subspecies folded into the species.
Method
A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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