Common reed (Phragmites australis (communis)) is an invasive plant. It was first detected in West Virginia in 1969.
Common reed commonly forms extensive stands), which may be as much as a square kilometer or more in extent. This non-native grass is beginning to crowd out local plant life, growing and spreading into dense 15 foot-high clusters and threatening to dominate entire ecosystems.
For more information about this plant pest, see the CABI data sheet.