Reed bed

A reedbed or reed bed is a natural habitat found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and estuaries.

As reedbeds age, they build up a considerable litter layer that eventually rises above the water level and that ultimately provides opportunities in the form of new areas for larger terrestrial plants such as shrubs and trees to colonise.

Reed swamps have 20 cm or more of surface water during the summer and often have high invertebrate and bird species use.

Many dicotyledons also occur, such as water mint (Mentha aquatica), gipsywort (Lycopus europaeus), skull-cap (Scutellaria species), touch-me-not balsam (Impatiens noli-tangere), brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) and water forget-me-nots (Myosotis species).

Similar to constructed wetlands, water trickling through the reedbed is cleaned by microorganisms living on the root system and in the litter.