Reed

Reed (Phragmites australis) is an aquatic plant widely found in wetlands and along the banks of lakes and rivers. Historically, it has been an important raw material for woven and plaited products. The material is obtained from the plant’s above-ground stems, which contain strong, fibrous cells with natural resistance to moisture. They are lightweight, breathable, and easy to process. The earliest known use of reed for textile purposes is documented in Neolithic China (around 7000 BCE), where it was used to produce woven mats, straps, bags, and primitive textiles, making it one of the oldest known fibrous materials in human history. Processing of reed involves harvesting mature, dried stems, removing leaves, and cutting the stems into strips or splitting them into finer fibers. The material is often soaked to soften it and improve flexibility, after which it is shaped into strands that can be plaited, woven, or tied. In the textile industry, reed is mainly used for mats, bags, baskets, decorative panels, natural wall coverings, ceiling or flooring textiles, and certain structural technical textiles. Its key advantages include full biodegradability, local availability, ease of processing, and excellent insulating and absorbent properties, making it suitable for ecological, traditional, and modern interior applications.