Across america, there is a growing and insidious epidemic. Often hidden in plain sight, sometimes even those who are most afflicted are totally unaware. It could be your neighbor, your son, maybe your mother, and even grandma. Scratch that, ESPECIALLY grandma. Yes, there is no denying it, gardeners are everywhere, and they need your help. As a recovering gardener myself, I speak from first hand experience when I say that it can get downright nasty. Old poop. Plant sex. Life purpose. Disgusting, unspeakable things. Back in the day, for the right packet of seeds I would do anything. ANYTHING. I'm talkin back alley, bathroom stall, weird ass sh****t. And in a completely unrelated topic, does anyone have any pre-stratified Thalictrum-dasycarpum seed? I'm asking for a... uuuum, a friend. Yes, that's it, a friend. Cause I'm totally rehabilitated... Completely.
Anyway this devastating disease is often at its peak during this time of the year and the symptoms are usually fairly easy to spot: obsessive seed sowing, attraction to bright colors, spending bill and food money on plants of all types, etc.. Unfortunately, many of these sad individuals will never be free of the disease and are doomed to live a life full of self renewing happiness, fulfillment, and wonder. So while the addiction itself my be utterly hopeless, I urge the family members of gardeners to encourage at least a modicum of self restraint during the spring season. To aid in the prevention of short sighted binging on luscious, colorful, but ephemeral spring blooms that will just leave gaping holes in the garden and the soul once spring is through, I've put together a list of plants that may help to calm the florally obsessed mind. After all, gardeners must be continually reminded (especially once the snow begins to melt) that there are more to plants than just flowers, and there is no better way to do that than focusing in on our least flowery of genus's (geni?), Carex.
Carex is a BIG cosmopolitan genus of grassy plants found on every continent except Antarctica, often thriving in places that are too extreme (by means of too much moisture, too much shade, or excessive sterility) for other species to properly grow. Rather than attempt to list all representative in eastern North America, I've limited my list to the more refined, finer species of the east coast, focusing primarily on foliage. If I missed any of the more garden worthy individuals please scold me thoroughly. I've grouped some species by similar habit, appearance, and growing conditions. Provided the cultural requirements are met, most of the species below are also great candidates for no mow lawns. Garden Rant did a great summary of sedge based lawn alternative plantings at the Scott Arboretum. Check it out.
GARDEN WORTHY CAREX SPECIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
Carex appalachia - Appalachian Sedge
Zones 3-8
Appropriate that this guy comes first alphabetically, as it is one of our finest. Clumper. Won't tolerate wet soils.
Purchase from: Amanda's Garden, Niche Gardens, Sooner Plant Farm, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Plant Delights Nursery, Sunshine Farm and Gardens
Carex albicans - White-tinged Sedge
Zones 4-8
I had never heard of this species till I came across it online as one of the "best performers" in the Scott Arboretum's lawn alternative plantings. Adapatable clumping species that reseeds when happy. Performs admirably in dry shade.
Purchase from: New Moon Nursery, Green Light Plants
Carex cherokeensis - Cherokee Sedge
Zones 6-9
If you want to grow C. pensylvanica but your soils are a bit too heavy and your summers a bit too hot try Cherokee Sedge for a larger, slightly messier version.
Purchase from: Niche Gardens, Plant Delights Nursery, New Moon Nursery, Hoffman Nursery
Carex crinita - Fringed Sedge
Zones 3-9
This might just be the nostalgia talking but I feel like this guy is one of the most under-appreciated of our native sedges. This plant was all over the place around the little brook where we played in as kids and despite growing in the shadiest and muckiest of places always seemed to catch the light just right so it was perpetually glowing.
Purchase from: Prairie Moon, New Moon Nursery, New Moon Nursery, Ohio Prairie Nursery, Hoffman Nursery, Possibility Place Nursery, Agrecol Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants
Carex eburnea - Bristle-leaf Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zones 2-8
Carex retroflexa - Reflexed sedge
?Zones 5-9? - No consistent listing on this
These 2 clumpers, while not closely related, have a similar habbit and tolerance of drier soils. C. eburnea is the stronger tighter clumper of the 2 to the extent it is sometimes described as a "half burried green porcupine."
C. eburnea - Purchase from: Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon, Plant Delights Nursery, Broken Arrow Nursery, Kelly Nursery, Morning Sky Greenery, Native Plants in Claremont, New England Wetland Plants
C. retroflexa - Purchase from: Plant Delights Nursery, Blooming Nursery, Wholesale Nursery
Carex glaucodea syn. flaccosperma - Blue Sedge
Zones (4)-8
Carex laxiculmus - Spreading Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zones 5-8
Carex amphibola - Creek Sedge
Zones 3-8
These guys are as close to a native liriope as your gonna get, with C. amphibola being pretty much a dead ringer for the ubiquitous groundcover (also of the group, probably the most adaptable).
C. glaucodea (syn. flaccosperma) - Purchase from: Fiddlehead Creek, Dropseed, Chesapeake Natives, Behnke, Wholesale Nursery, North Creek, New Moon, Bluestone, Plant Delights, Lazyss Farm, Kiefer Nursery, Niche Gardens, Bohn's Farms, Hoffman Nursery.
C. laxiculmus - Purchase from: North Creek, Plant Delights, New Moon, Hoffman, Sunlight Gardens, Santa Rosa Gardens, Classy Groundcovers, Rarefind Nursery, Pleasant Run Nursery, Emerald Coast Growers, Midwest Groundcovers, Saunders Brothers, Green Leaf, Gardens of Blueridge
C. amphibola - Purchase from: North Creek, Hoffman Nursery, New Moon, Prairie Moon, Wholesale Nursery, Bohn's Farm. Fiddlehead Creek, Gardens of Blueridge
Carex lasiocarpa - Wooly-fruited Sedge
Zones 3-7
A graceful, billowy, and robust sedge of northern marshes and lakeshores.
Purchase from: Prairie Moon, Fourth Corner Nurseries
Carex muskingumensis - Palm Sedge
Zone: 4-8
An awesome textural, adaptable, and multipurpose plant that somehow I've totally overlooked. Soon to be found in my garden.... as soon as I find some room :-/ A handful of cultivars available in the trade including the dwarf 'Little Midge' and the golden stripped 'Oehme.'
Purchase Fronm: Amanda's Garden, Forest Farm, Lazyss Farm, Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon, New Moon, North Creek, Hoffman Nursery, Digging Dog, Possibility Place, Bluestem Nursery, Pleasant Run Nursery, Kelly Nursery, Forrest Keeling, Wholesale Nursery, Connon Nurseries, Hoffie
Carex pensylvanica - Pennsylvania Sedge, Oak Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zone: (3)4-7
Carex texensis - Texas or Catlin Sedge
Zone: 5-9, although I've seen a several 7-10
As far as groundcovers go these 2 compliment one another pretty well. If you're dealing with sandy acidic sterile soils and live in the northern half of the country (except the extreme north) C. pensylvanica is where its at. If you have a heavier (provided it is not wet) soil and live in the southern half of the country (except the extreme south) give C. texensis a try. I've used a not so flattering, rather sparse looking image of C. pensylvanica as a not so subtle reminder that even though sedges are tough plants, in order to get them to look lush and thriving as shown in many of the images used to market them (especially C. pensylvanica), you often need to plant them in conditions that are at least sightly better than what you would find in the wild.
C. pensylvanica - Purchase from: Classy Groundcovers, Everwilde Farms, Greenwood Nursery, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon Nursery, Santa Rosa Gardens, Shooting Star Nursery, Yellow Springs Farm, Bluestem Nursery, Droopseed Nursery
C. texensis - Purchase from: Plant Delights, Niche Gardens, Hoffman, New Moon, San Marcos, Wholesale Nursery
Carex plantaginea - Plantain-leaved or Seersucker Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zone: 4-8
Carex platyphylla - Silver Sedge
Zone: 4-8
The widest leaves of any of our native sedges, and while other sedges are shade tolerant, these 2 species need shade to truly thrive. Basically a green (C. plantaginea) and blue (C. platyphylla) variation of one another. Both are evergreen to semi-evergreen depending on the climate.
C. plantaginea - Purchase from: Lazyss Farm, Prairie Nursery, Rarefind, Pleasant Run, North Creek, New Moon, Hoffman, Fiddlehead Creek
C. platyphylla - Purchase from: Dropseed, Sunlight Gardens, Plant Delights, Klehm's Song Sparrow, Lazy S'S Farm, Dropseed, Van Berkum, North Creek, New Moon, Pleasant Run, Fiddlehead Creek, Stonehouse Nursery, Broken Arrow
Carex radiata - Eastern Star Sedge
Zone: 3-8
Carex rosea - Curly-Styled Wood or Rosy Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zone: 3-8
Even the experts apparently have difficulty telling these 2 apart; both fine textured clumpers, both adaptle to a range of soil types, with C. rosea being a bit more tolerant of excessive moisture.
Carex radiata - Purchase from: Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon, Plant Delights, Possibility PLace, North Creek, New Moon
Carex rosea - Purchase from: Prairie Moon, Prairie Nursery, Bluestem Nursery, Morningsky Greenery, Toadshade, New Moon, Hoffman Nursery, Possibility Place
Carex socialis - Low Woodland or Social Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zone: (5)6-9
Carex leavenworthii - Leavenworth's Sedge
Zone: (5)6-9
Carex woodii - Pretty Sedge
Zone: 4-6
Let me start out by saying that the image above is different than the one before it, and despite looking extremely similar supposedly it is a different species. The truth is the information on these 3 was sparse at best, and while a few sources referred to them as clumping, most had them listed as having a running habit. Overall though they seemed like they would make great, adaptable alternatives to C. pensylvanica if your dealing with a heavier soil. I'd like to list them up with C. pensylvanica as well, but until I find more information I'll relegate them to this little band of misfits. Of the 3, there is the least amount of information on C. woodii, so if you come across a good source let me know!
Carex socialis - Purchase from: Plant Delights, New Moon
Carex leavenworthii - Purchase from: Plant Delights, New Moon, Bluestem Nursery, San Marcos Growers
Carex woodii - Purchase from: New Moon, Izel Plants
Carex sprengelii - Long Beaked or Sprengel's Sedge
Zone: 3-9
I keep find references of this being a beautiful ornamental sedge, although the pictures I've come across haven't been particularly overwhelming. Maybe its one of those plants that can't really be captured in photographs. Anyway have yet to grow or come across it in the wild so I'll wait till I see it first hand before passing judgement.
Purchase from: Ion Exchange, Morningsky Greenery, Prairie Moon, Prairie Nursery, Agrecol, New Moon, Outback Nursery
Carex stricta - Tussock or Upright Sedge (Pictured Above)
Zone: 3-8
Carex bromoides - Brome Hummock Sedge
Zone: 3-8
C. stricta will always be lodged in my memory from my winter explorations of the frozen swamp in my backyard when I was a kid. The little goupings of the plant always reminded me a bit of a horde of cousin its rising from the swamp. The tussocks were just the right size for an 8 year old to sit on (hopefully I didn't damage them too badly), As much as I can gather C. bromoides is a closely related species with a more northern distribution.
C. stricta - Purchase from: New England Wetland Plants, Ion Exchange, Agrecol, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Moon, North Creek, New Moon, Hoffman Nursery, Pinelands Nursery, Possibility Place, Forest Keeling, Catskill Native Nursery, Hoffie Nursery, High Ranch Nursery, Long Island Natives
C. bromoides - Purchase from: Agrecol, Natural Garden Natives, Spence Nursery, Izel Native Plants, Wholesale Nursery
IMAGES SOURCES: C. appalachia, C. albicans, C. cherokeensis, C. crinita, C. eburnea, C. laxiculmus, C. lasiocarpa, C. muskingumensis, C. pennsylvanica, C. plantaginea, C. rosea, C. socialis, C. sprengelii, C. stricta
