This plant does not occur in Florida. However it is present in the northern tier of states from Vermont to Idaho, and in most of the southern half of Canada (Kartesz, 1999). It was introduced from both Europe and Asia.
Flowering rush plants grow from fleshy rhizomes; plants occur as submersed plants and as emersed plants in marshes and shorelines. The more obvious, emersed, form has "grassy", erect leaves. Its pink flowers are borne in an umbel (umbrella-like) at the top of a single flower stalk; the flowers are usually held above the leaves of the plants.