Ideas for Carex Ornamental Grasses with Flowers

Carex plants are part of a large group of grasses called sedges and, like other ornamental grasses; many are native species in the United States. The thick clusters called tussocks, triangular stems and flower spikes are identifying features of sedge plants.

Carex plants that are woodland sedges prefer shade. Woodland sedges are good wildlife plants near water because sedges thrive in moist soils and water-loving birds will eat the seeds. These characteristics make sedges useful to edge a garden bordering a woody landscape.

Using Carex to Attract Wildlife

Carex grasses grown among perennials will attract wildlife, but not deer, at the front of a border. In a planting bed, mix Carex with Japanese iris or crested iris along a border where slow moving water is directed into a rain garden. In a bed covered with part garden shade, sedge grasses will thrive with shrubs like Fothergilla gardeni or Clethra alnifolia.

Sedge plants are an alternative to a lawn where a gardener wants to bridge space between turf in full sun and the edge of a dense shade tree or woodland garden. Sedges will tolerate low light situations and not require high amounts of fertilizer.

Ornamental grasses, including sedges, have two types of growing patterns to consider when mixing with other plants. Cool season grasses will appear early in spring, quickly flower, go dormant in summer, then resume growing in fall. Warm season grasses are slow to start in spring, flourish in summer heat but flower late in summer or early fall

Carex Plants for Wet Gardens

Carex plants thrive in reliably wet locations. Here are several Carex ideas:

• C. comosa is called bottlebrush sedge for the shape of its flowers. Bottlebrush sedge prefers light shade to full sun. It is a tall native plant that is hardy to zone 4.
• C. elata ‘Bowles Golden’ reaches 2′ tall with long bright yellow leaves. It is hardy in zones 6 – 10 and is a warm season ornamental grass.
• C. morrowii ‘Aurea Variegata’ grows up to 18″ tall hardy in zones 5 – 9. The vertical green and white striped leaves will light up a shady garden.
• C. muskingumensis ‘Oehme’ is a variegated palm sedge cultivar with green and yellow vertical stripes. The plants will grow in full sun or shade but always requires moist soils. It is hardy up to zone 3 with a cool season growing pattern.
• C. stricta is a very short tussock sedge, growing to 3″ tall. It is a native boggy plant, especially in the northeast but found as far north as Minnesota and Wisconsin.

As sedges are native in so many locations, Carex grasses vary in plant size and degree of cold hardiness. Very short Carex are useful in container planting as well as in the ground.

Carex Cultivar Fillers in Pots

Carex plants in a container in a mixed plant combination will also attract wildlife, add foliage variety and late season interest when left in the pot over winter. Sedge plants in containers must be watered well throughout the growing season to thrive. Carex cultivars are excellent filler plants as they will cascade over the edge of a pot:

• C. conica ‘Snowline’ is sedge with with silver margins edging green leaves. It grows 6″ tall and together planted with white impatiens will light up a dark garden.
• C. flagullifera ‘Toffee Twist’ is sedge that grows up to 24″ tall. It prefers sun and is hardy zones 7 – 10.
• C. muskingumensis ‘Little Midge’ is dwarf palm sedge that has dark green leaves. Like its species, this Carex has a cool season growing pattern.

Carex plants that grow in woodland landscapes are useful for garden shade, will attract wildlife planted near water and thrive in containers even for winter interest. Books about rain gardens will offer more tips on what to plant with Carex sedges.

Permission received for all photos used in the article.