February 18, 2021 – Taaja Tucker, U.S. Geological Survey and Samantha Tank, Great Lakes Commission 

Round up your crayons, markers, or colored pencils for a Phragmites coloring sheet! This coloring sheet provides an overview of non-native Phragmites, the effects it can have on the ecosystem, and ways it can be managed. Text on the back is rated at the fifth to sixth grade reading level, but anyone can enjoy coloring the front!

Click the preview image below to download the coloring sheet as a printable PDF. Print on 8.5 x 14 inch (legal) paper for best fit.

Phragmites Coloring Sheet preview

References used to produce coloring sheet

  • Findlay, S., Groffman, P., Dye, S., 2003. Effects of Phragmites australis removal on marsh nutrient cycling. Wetlands Ecology and Management 11, 157–165. Link. 
  • Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative. 2017. Amphibious vehicle cutting Phragmites below the waterline in Ontario. Blog post. Link.
  • Haslam, S.M., 1971. Community regulation in Phragmites communis: II. Mixed stands. The Journal of Ecology 59, 75–88. Link. 
  • Hazelton, E.L.G., Mozdzer, T.J., Burdick, D.M., Kettenring, K.M., Whigham, D.F., 2014. Phragmites australis management in the United States: 40 years of methods and outcomes. AoB PLANTS 6. Link.
  • Herrick, E. 2018. Identifying native vs. invasive Phragmites. Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative blog post. Link.
  • Isely, P., Nordman, E.E., Howard, S., Bowman, R., 2017. Phragmites removal increases property values in Michigan’s lower Grand River watershed. Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics 4. Link.
  • Kiviat, E., 2013. Ecosystem services of Phragmites in North America with emphasis on habitat functions. AoB Plants 5, plt008. Link.
  • Markle, C.E., Chow-Fraser, P., 2018. Effects of European common reed on Blanding’s turtle spatial ecology. The Journal of Wildlife Management 82, 857–864. Link.
  • Meyerson, L.A., Saltonstall, K., Windham, L., Kiviat, E., Findlay, S., 2000. A comparison of Phragmites australis in freshwater and brackish marsh environments in North America. Wetlands Ecology and Management 8, 89–103. Link.
  • Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, 2014. A Guide to the Control and Management of Invasive Phragmites. Third Edition. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Lansing, MI.
  • Mozdzer, T.J., Brisson, J., Hazelton, E.L.G., 2013. Physiological ecology and functional traits of North American native and Eurasian introduced Phragmites australis AoB PLANTS 5, plt048. Link.
  • Robichaud, C.D., Rooney, R.C., 2017. Long-term effects of a Phragmites australis invasion on birds in a Lake Erie coastal marsh. Journal of Great Lakes Research 43, 141–149. Link.
  • Saltonstall, K., 2002. Cryptic invasion by a non-native genotype of the common reed, Phragmites australis, into North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99, 2445–2449. Link.
  • Saltonstall, K., Peterson, P.M., Soreng, R.J., 2004. Recognition of Phragmites australis americanus (Poaceae: Arundinoideae) in North America: Evidence from morphological and genetic analyses. Sida 21, 683–692.
  • Short, L., Freeman, J., Wade, K., 2017. Examination of comparative manual removal strategies for non-chemical control of invasive non-native Phragmites australis australis: Phase 2. Link.