Carex (Sedge)
at Digging Dog
Including Carex morrowii, Carex pensylvanica, Carex tenuiculmis, Carex testacea, and Carex oshimensis
Carex
Sedge
A diverse genus comprised of nearly 1000 species, most Carex originate in the moist habitats of temperate climates. Our graceful selections are easy to grow and promise to soften those hard edges in your garden. View a slideshow of plant images from this genus
Frosted Curls Sedge
Applauded as one of the most distinctive native New Zealand grasses, this Carex spotlights a frosted fountain of gracefully cascading hairlike blades. The iridescent light green leaves twist their tips and gleam with pewter highlights, while staging a dense evergreen clump that spills over rocks, walls or a favored patio container.
For an especially fluid display, ‘Frosted Curls’ is best planted en masse on a slope where its trailing foliage appears to flow like water.
Size: 12" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 7. Carex albula ‘Frosted Curls’ (G-0482)
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Miniature Variegated Sedge
Glistening, dark green slender leaves embellished with crisp white margins and small purplish white flowers on triangular stems hallmark this neatly tufted variegated Sedge. Fully evergreen in milder climates, the sturdy fine textured mound spreads slowly, casting a long lasting sprightly charm upon the rockery, woodland beds or patio pots. ‘Snowline’ relishes light shade and loose moist soil, withstands tree roots, wards off deer and, if planted closely, makes a picturesque easy to maintain ground cover.
Blooms May. Size: 9"–15" high x 10"–18" wide; hardy to zone 5. Carex conica ‘Snowline’ (G-0533)
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Berkeley SedgeWe favor Berkeley Sedge for its lush meadow look. Ranging from Washington to California’s Monterey coast, this western native’s deep green and lustrous, thin evergreen blades elegantly arch out from a clumping base and yield inconspicuous brownish blooms held by lax, wiry stems.
Once established, the fast growing and versatile Carex divulsa can endure an array of factors: some drought, boggy areas, tree roots, sun or shade, and foot traffic, including the four-legged kind. However, regular watering and a trim every 6 months will ensure the most verdant growth. You can space it closely and mow for a turflike effect, plant en masse as a ground cover in a small or large area or create a shady vignette with Euphorbia characias x robbiae and Geranium sinense.
Blooms May–June. Size: 18"–2' 0" high x 2' 0" wide; hardy to zone 7. Carex divulsa (G-0449)
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Kaga Brocade SedgeNishiki means “brocade,” and it rightly describes the variegated blades of this superb selection, which comes to our country from Japan’s Gotemba Nursery. Forming a tidy, fountain-like mound, each slender leaf has a green central stripe emargined in radiant yellow.
Long-lived and durable, ‘Kaga Nishiki’ imparts bright accents to verdant broad-leafed perennials in the border.
Size: 8"–10" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 6. Carex dolichostachya ‘Kaga Nishiki’ (G-0098)
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Bowles Golden SedgeThis beautiful sedge offers the clearest yellow of any grass, plus a courtly, rounded form. Its compact size is ideal for the rock garden or mixed border. Best of all, the coloring becomes even more brilliant in partial shade.
Use it to enliven the woodland garden, or make a stunning statement by planting it with other golden foliage or with the contrasting leaves of Pulmonaria ‘Roy Davidson’. Bowles Golden will become a dense stand in only a few seasons.
Size: 15" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 5. Carex elata ‘Aurea’ (G-0006)
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Solidly colored in clear golden yellows, this Carex's graceful hummock will energize the hohum corners of your garden. With upright and arching, evergreen foliage, 'Knightshayes' requires moisture and bright shade to retain the gilt hues. Try establishing singly or en masse near ponds, streams, in a damp border or even in water, where its glowing accents and reflections are sure to beckon.
Size: 15" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 5. Carex elata ‘Knightshayes’ (G-0096)
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Carnation GrassWith its sea of striking blue, Carnation-like foliage, this handsome Carex is aptly named. Glaucous, narrow blades create a noninvasive, slowly spreading mass. Purple-black spikes appear to float like a subtle mist just above the solid, jointless flowering stems. Easy to establish and indispensable as a low
ground cover, Carex flacca tolerates drought, adapts to an array of growing conditions and effectively
interweaves a tapestry of Heathers.
Blooms May–June. Size: 6"–15" high x 12"–15" wide; hardy to zone 4. Carex flacca (glauca) (G-0099)
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Reminiscent of Dianthus leaves and noticeably broader than the species, the eye-catching ¾ in. wide ultra-blue blades grow in an upward arching fashion. ‘Burton’s Blue’ produces small purple-black flowers atop its galvanizing more coarsely textured foundation that makes an ideal well-mannered evergreen addition for your rock garden or border. Staged in sweeps, as a walkway edging or tucked between boulders, this adaptable slow spreading selection abides full sun, part shade, drought, alkaline soil and even some salinity.
Blooms May–mid July Size: 12"–20" high x 10"–15" wide; hardy to zone 4. Carex flacca ‘Burton’s Blue’ (G-0554)
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Weeping Brown SedgeInfused with rich earth tones evoking a Zen-like simplicity, the weeping ultra-fine clump of long and thin, dark chocolate-colored blades sets this mop-top New Zealander apart. Carex flagellifera’s easily melded tones and fluid upright arching form brings textural intrigue to containers, the rockery, walls or borders, whether installed as a stand-alone or a sweep. Arresting when juxtaposed against broad greenery, blue-gray foliage or any brightly hued bloom, Weeping Brown Sedge obliges sun, shade, moisture and somewhat dry conditions, and remains evergreen where winters are mild.
Size: 15"–18" high x 2' 0" wide; hardy to zone 6. Carex flagellifera (Bronze) (G-0532)
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Introduced by Barry Yinger, long-lived ‘Ice Dance’ comes to us from the woodlands flanking Japan’s low-lying mountains. Dark emerald in color, the reflexed, leathery leaves are shiny and heightened by creamy white margins.
This tidy evergreen ground cover is not invasive; its spreading rhizomes form a coarsely textured carpet that is somewhat drought tolerant once established.
Size: 12" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 5. Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’ (G-0088)
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Whatever visions the cultivar name may conjure, the thread-like glimmering foliage is sure to champion. Collected by Barry Yinger during a 1970 Japanese excursion, this carefree variegated grass generates a soft looking fountain-shaped mop of longitudinally striped extra narrow green and white foliage that shrugs off deer and readily subdues angular features. ‘Silk Tassel’s gracefully cascading clump looks fantastic massed in a woodland planting, cozied alongside rocks or positioned pond side.
Size: 12" high x 2' 0" wide; hardy to zone 5. Carex morrowii var. temnolepis ‘Silk Tassel’ (G-0555)
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Dwarf Palm SedgeTruly pint-sized in all aspects, this easily cultivated fine textured sedge was introduced by Limerock Nursery of Pennsylvania. Thin, tapered bright green blades resemble miniature palms as they radiate out from lax stem tips.
Best relished up close, the slow spreading ‘Little Midge’ is a superb option for small water features or containers, bog gardens and the rockery; or plant multiples for a verdant ground cover. It endures sun or partial shade with ample moisture, but is tolerant of drier conditions.
Size: 8"–12" high x 8"–12" wide; hardy to zone 4. Carex muskingumensis ‘Little Midge’ (G-0521)
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While the species inhabits moist North American woodlands and meadows, this uniquely textured sport, discovered in landscape architect Wolfgang Oehme’s garden, is somewhat drought tolerant once established. First a solid color, later enhanced with narrow yellow edges, the bright green blades are tapered and arranged horizontally like palm fronds on mostly upright triangular stems, knitting a tropical-styled, semideciduous ground cover.
Versatile and deer resistant, ‘Oehme’s slow spreading steadfast clump produces chocolate-colored spiky inflorescences, handles sun or shade, favors ample moisture, especially when its hot and looks just right along a walkway, streamside, or in a container.
Blooms June. Size: 18"–2' 0" high x 2' 0" wide; hardy to zone 4. Carex muskingumensis ‘Oehme’ (G-0505)
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Variegated Japanese SedgeTouted as one of the most graceful of the variegated sedges, this clump-forming evergreen Carex captivates us with dense and dapper, gracefully weeping blades. A butter-colored median band daringly lights up each long, fine textured dark green leaf. Carex oshimensis dwells amid the rock-laden slopes and dry woodlands on Japan’s main island, Honshu, rendering ‘Evergold’ a choice contender for your favorite pot, the rockery or woods. Smoothing over hard edges and luminous en masse, it happily obliges varied conditions, except intense hot weather.
Size: 10"–14" high x 12"–2' 0" wide; hardy to zone 6. Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ (G-0506)
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Oshima Sedge
Arching upward and out, this Carex’s lush foliage is elegant. A glinting cascade of refined, evergreen blades presents dark green margins with broad, alabaster-colored central stripes that mature to creamy yellow. Languishing if it’s too hot, slow spreading ‘Gold Strike’ thrives in moist, well drained sites, and makes a bold statement when its densely set, variegated tussocks are planted in a meandering swath amidst Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’ or Epimediums.
Size: 15"–20" high x 2' 0" wide; hardy to zone 6. Carex oshimensis ‘Gold Strike’ (G-0461)
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Oak Sedge
Wish you had a lush green no-mow carpet that can tackle dry conditions and requires little care? This low growing, fine textured Sedge may be just what you’re looking for. Slowly spreading by reddish brown rhizomes, Carex pensylvanica makes a soft-looking fountain- like ground cover with delicate semievergreen blades plus white-edged purple and brown thimble-like inflorescences. Indigenous to the thickets and oak inhabited woodlands of eastern and central North America, Oak Sedge works great in well-drained shady expanses, such as underneath deciduous trees and large perennials, or as a lawn substitute, where there’s not much foot traffic.
Blooms May Size: 6"–12" high x 8"–15" wide; hardy to zone 4. Carex pensylvanica (G-0545)
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Originally cultivated by Japan’s variegated grass enthusiast, the late Dr. Yokoi, slow spreading ‘Silver Sceptre’ yields bright white margins that are big on sparkle, though the long, arching narrow green blades span a mere 1/8 in. Greenish brown flower spikes lend subtle interest on triangular stems, while the compelling silver-laced foliar accents jazz up containers or massed plantings. Utilized as an obliging evergreen ground cover, ‘Silver Sceptre's refined habit tackles deer, drought and various soil conditions plus heavy shade and cold winters.
Blooms May Size: 8"–12" high x 12"–18" wide; hardy to zone 5. Carex ‘Silver Sceptre’ (G-0561)
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New Zealand SedgeA cozy fusion of colors—from dark chocolate and cappuccino to reddish bronze—distinguish this fine textured evergreen sedge. Whether positioned in a border, cascading over a wall or embellishing a container, the long and narrow, arching foliage fashions a loosely arranged, graceful mound whose rich warm tones juxtapose green and golden leafage to great affect.
Carex tenuiculmis favors moist soil, and can be brought inside wherever it’s not winter hardy.
Size: 12"–15" high x 12"–15" wide; hardy to zone 7. Carex tenuiculmis (G-0471)
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Orange New Zealand SedgeThe exotic look of lucent orange foliage paints the garden’s verdant canvas nearly year round. Long, fine textured strands first emerge an olive-green and later transmute stunning golden brown, copper and orange highlights. With its upright and dense arching tuft, easy-to-grow Carex testacea is a hardy, drought tolerant grass that entices gardeners, but not deer, insisting on full sun to preserve the extraordinary hues, and good drainage.
Let this evergreen New Zealand native spill over a container’s edge or cozy up to Yucca ‘Garland’s Gold’, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ and Euphorbia myrsinites.
Size: 18"–2' 0" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 6. Carex testacea (G-0495)
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