Triangular Club Rush

Triangular Club RushUpdated: July 30th, 2024

Author:-elf

Created: May 21st, 2024

For the second time, the previous being some 23 years ago, the marsh is being considered for planting. Last time it was unviable but now there is a breach from the river to the marsh flat land Peter Nicholson oftamarvalley-nl.org.ukhas arranged to visit this May 22nd around 10:30. So will see what the view is then.

UPDATE: 22nd
Well Peter was pleasant and was happy to look around. We spent the at least 2h30m along the bund and then back through the wetlands etc. Although Peter agreed that it's covered in well establish growth he may come back and look a one small patch of 'clear mud' area.

June 24th It looks like the ELF may host some this July see Comment 1

July 3rd Peter planted out some 19 to 23 pots of rush

July 10th

Triangular Club Rush 10th July 2024: 16:00
(*low 0.8m of spring tide of 3.9m*)

Sadly after a week they still all look pale and about to give up the ghost. Maybe in another couple of weeks there will be some colour in their stems.

July 18th
I have been told that they die right back in winter and hopefully in late spring they will produce new shoots.

Triangular Club Rush 26th July 2024: 16:00

July 30th
Still submerged but only by and inch or so around 11am but all drained or evaporated by 7pm

Comment No. * from: roger [Member]

Hi Roger. A belated thanks for allowing me to visit your site and show me around. I have now looked and surveyed a number of potential new sites for triangular club-rush on the Tamar and Tavy lower catchments and have selected three that broadly represent suitable a habitat but display a variation in certain environmental conditions. This will allow us to further understand the best way of recovering viable populations of this almost extinct population of this plant in the UK.

I would like to take up your offer to establish a few plants in the area of bare ground in the tidally flooded area that we located at the end of our site walk.

The total number of plants proposed for your site is 20 and they will be planted by hand in the bare mud. Should the plants survive they can obtain a height of some 1.5m and form a dense tuft.
My experience of this plant is that it is not invasive and in fact its rarity illustrates the limited habitats that it can survive in. This appears to be restricted to relatively stable mud in saline or freshwater sites free from competition from more aggressive vigorous emergent plant species.

The current status of your land is that it falls into a number of Landscape and Nature Conservation designations. Notable are Special Area for Conservation SAC; a Special Protection Area SPA; and a Site of special Scientific Interest SSSI. These three nature conservation designations are administered by Defra/NE and look to maintain and improve the special importance of these habitats. The presence of this particular plant species will not alter or add to these current protective measures or add further constraints to on site owners beyond those already in place.

With your agreement I will look to establish the plants sometime in the first week in July.

If this answers all of your concerns and you still are happy for me to plant the rush can you confirm by email. I will then sort out a suitable date in that week to meet up with you on site.

Many thanks again in cooperating in this nationally important species recovery programme.

Regards

Peter Nicholson