North America Non-native Plant

Reussia

Botanical name: Reussia

USDA symbol: REUSS

Native status: Not native but doesn't reproduce and persist in the wild

Reussia: A Mystery Plant That Might Not Exist If you’ve stumbled across the name Reussia while researching plants for your garden, you’re probably scratching your head right about now. Don’t worry – you’re not alone in your confusion! The Case of the Missing Plant Here’s the thing about Reussia: despite ...

Reussia: A Mystery Plant That Might Not Exist

If you’ve stumbled across the name Reussia while researching plants for your garden, you’re probably scratching your head right about now. Don’t worry – you’re not alone in your confusion!

The Case of the Missing Plant

Here’s the thing about Reussia: despite our best detective work, we can’t find any reliable information about a plant species that goes by this name. It doesn’t appear in major botanical databases, plant identification guides, or horticultural resources. This is pretty unusual for a legitimate plant species, especially one that gardeners might encounter.

What’s Going On Here?

When a plant name leads to dead ends like this, there are usually a few possibilities:

  • It might be a misspelling or typo of another plant name
  • It could be a very obscure species that hasn’t made it into common databases yet
  • The name might be outdated or invalid according to current botanical classification
  • It might simply be an error or fictional entry

What Should You Do?

If you encountered the name Reussia somewhere and were hoping to grow it, here’s our advice:

  • Double-check your source – was there perhaps a typo?
  • Look for similar-sounding plant names that might be what you’re actually after
  • If you have a photo or description of the plant, try using a plant identification app or consulting with local garden experts
  • Consider reaching out to botanical gardens or extension services in your area

Similar Names to Consider

Could you have been looking for one of these plants instead?

  • Russelia (Firecracker Plant) – a popular flowering shrub
  • Ruscus (Butcher’s Broom) – an evergreen subshrub
  • Various plants with Russian in their common names

The Bottom Line

While we love a good plant mystery, Reussia remains an enigma. If you’re planning a native garden, we’d recommend sticking with well-documented native species that you can research thoroughly. Your local native plant society or extension office can provide excellent recommendations for plants that are actually available and appropriate for your area.

Remember, successful gardening starts with knowing what you’re planting – and that begins with a plant that actually exists!

Reussia

Classification

Group

Monocot

Kingdom

Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom

Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision

Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division

Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Subdivision
Class

Liliopsida - Monocotyledons

Subclass

Liliidae

Order

Liliales

Family

Pontederiaceae Kunth - Water-Hyacinth family

Genus

Reussia Endl. - reussia

Species

Plant data source: USDA, NRCS 2025. The PLANTS Database. https://plants.usda.gov,. 2/25/2025. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA