Path Rush
Juncus tenuis, or Path Rush, is a perennial plant native to Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It is a diminutive plant, 4 to 12 inches high, with fine, rich green foliage and plump fall seeds. Its preference is for moist soil with full to part sun and it appreciates clay, gravel, and other dense soil. It will also tolerate medium moisture mesic conditions, and is fairly drought tolerant when established.
As the name suggests, this plant is often found along paths - the trails of animals and people, even roads, but it also finds its way into fields, moist rocky edges, and a variety of disturbed sites by virtue of having seeds that are sticky when wet. The seeds cling easy to feet, feathers, fur, and tires, allowing this dainty rush to seek out the empty spaces where it won't be smothered by taller vegetation. It is very resistant to foot traffic and compacted soil, and small enough to fill in between paving stone or rocks.
When we built our first greenhouse, we exposed a layer of moist clay that this plant filled with enthusiasm. That fall, sparrows and other birds feasted on the seeds. I felt like I was traversing the undisturbed prairies of the past when I walked to the greenhouse in the evening, flushing birds out of the rushes with every step. It has tough foliage, however, which deer and rabbits seem to shun. Try this cute little plant on paths, difficult wet spots, rocks and gravel, or to hold space while other new plants fill in. The birds will thank you.