Ecosystem services P. australis provides
ecosystem services such as nutrient sequestration, soil stabilization, and waste treatment. Others have argued that the ecosystem services lost as a result of invasion outweigh the benefits gained and managers need to be responsive to invasion control.
Cultivation P. australis is cultivated as an ornamental plant in aquatic and marginal settings such as pond- and lakesides. Its aggressive colonisation means it must be sited with care.
Phytoremediation water treatment Phragmites australis is one of the main wetland plant species used for
phytoremediation water treatment.
Waste water from lavatories and
greywater from kitchens is routed to an underground septic tank-like compartment where the solid waste is allowed to settle out. The water then trickles through a
constructed wetland or artificial reed bed, where
bioremediation bacterial action on the surface of roots and
leaf litter removes some of the
nutrients in
biotransformation. The water is then suitable for
irrigation,
groundwater recharge, or release to natural watercourses.
Thatching Reed is used in many areas for thatching roofs. In the
British Isles, common reed used for this purpose is known as Norfolk reed or water reed. However, "wheat reed" and "Devon reed", also used for thatching, are not in fact reed, but long-stemmed
wheat straw.
Music '', a relative of common reed, which itself is flattened to make the zurna reed. In
Middle East countries
Phragmites is used to create a small instrument similar to the
clarinet called a
sipsi, with either a single, as in the picture, or double pipes as in bagpipes. The reed of the
zurna is made from the common reed which is flattened after removing its brittle outer glaze and the loose inner membrane, and after softening it by wetting. The result is a double reed with an elliptical opening that vibrates by closing and opening at a high speed. This is not to be confused with other double reeds like that of the
oboe which uses two reeds made from the
giant reed leaning against each other.
Food The leaves, roots, seeds and stems of phragmites are edible. Young shoots can be cooked or eaten raw just like bamboo shoots. The young stems, "while still green and fleshy, can be dried and pounded into a fine powder, which when moistened is roasted like marshmallows." The seeds and rhizomes "can be ground into flour or made into gruel." In Japan, young leaves are dried, ground, and then mixed with cereal flour to make dumplings. Grazing on phragmites by large-bodied domestic herbivores, such as cows, horses, sheep, and goats, can effectively control the plant and provide a reciprocal positive benefit for humans by generating meat, milk, leather, and wool etc.
Other uses Some other uses for
Phragmites australis and other reeds in various cultures include
baskets, mats,
reed pen tips (
qalam), and paper. Beekeepers can utilize the reeds to make nesting. In the
Philippines,
Phragmites is known by the local name
tambo. Reed stands flower in December, and the blooms are harvested and bundled into
whisk brooms called "walis". Hence the common name of household brooms is
walis tambo. Reeds have been used to make arrows and weapons such as
spears for hunting game. == Invasiveness and control ==