The most likely explanation for the introduction of flowering rush to the Great Lakes is intentional planting. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, and it was introduced to North America in the 19th century as an ornamental plant. It is believed that the plant was accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes region when people discarded it into waterways.
Accidental introduction
Another possibility is that flowering rush was introduced to the Great Lakes accidentally. This could have happened when people transported plants from one area to another, or when plants were washed away from their original locations by storms or floods.
Natural dispersal
It is also possible that flowering rush spread to the Great Lakes naturally. The plant can reproduce both by seeds and by vegetative fragments. Seeds can be dispersed by birds, animals, and wind, while vegetative fragments can be carried by water currents.
