Phragmites—the common reed—grows everywhere there’s water, and so successfully that in many places, including the lake in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, it’s considered an invasive plant…but one that’s proven resistant to attempts to get rid of it.
In summer, it blocks views along the edge of the lake, and sends its roots down to disrupt the clay cap that forms the bottom of the artificial lake. But in winter, its color gone and the sun tinting its tops with a lighter shade, it has a quiet beauty that lets me form a soft spot for it…
P.S….here’s what it looks like in summer (photo: Derzsi Elekes Andor / Wikimedia)
