Sedges

These grasslike perennials act as dazzling stars or demure

supporters in sun and shade
By Roy Diblik Fine Gardening - Issue 107

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Sedges with bright, unusual, or variegated foliage make dramatic specimen or accent
plants in borders or containers.
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4.

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5.

Perfect Edges for Your Beds and Borders

After touting the virtues of sedges for more than 20 years, I’m thrilled that
these stalwart perennials are finally becoming popular. I’d be hard-pressed to
name another plant genus that I think is more gardenworthy. Sedges have a
grasslike appearance, but unlike most ornamental grasses, many perform as
well or better in shade as they do in sun. For that reason, they can fill a useful
design niche. Sedges are mostly grown for their bladelike foliage, which
ranges from thin strands to thick straps in shades of green, bluish green,
yellow, and copper. Their height ranges from several inches to 3 feet. Some
gardeners consider the flowers nondescript, but I find many of them intriguing.
They are generally subdued spikes in shades of tan or green that appear in
spring before dense foliage growth kicks in. Some flowers fade to become
attractive tawny seed heads that billow above the foliage. Most sedges have a
tufted growth habit, or they produce runners or rhizomes that create an open
or slightly spreading habit.
Sedges are durable and make adaptable garden companions. Some call
attention to themselves, while others serve as subtle supporters. With their
elegant textures and attractive colors, they can add grassy splendor to any
setting. I grow many different sedges, and I cannot imagine my garden without
them.

Variegated broadleaf sedge brightens a shady planting

Name: Carex siderosticha ‘Variegata’

USDA Hardiness Zones: 6–9
Light: Full sun to full shade
One of the most dramatic of the variegated sedges, ‘Variegata’ has 1-inch-
wide, deep green leaves lined with clean, white, vertical stripes. New growth
sports a tinge of pink, and the variegation remains stable over time, making it
a reliable long-term perennial. It grows into a low mound up to 10 inches high.
‘Variegata’ thrives in moist to well-drained soil. During our hot summers, I
water it deeply a few times in July and August to keep leaves from browning.

Uses: ‘Variegata’ is especially valuable for adding bright highlights in the

shade. Grow it with marginal wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis, Zones 3–8),
white wood aster (Aster divaricatus, Zones 4–8), and blue cohosh
(Caulophyllum thalictroides, Zones 3–7).
Leatherleaf sedge holds its shape
Name: Carex buchananii
Zones: 6–9
Light: Full sun to light shade
Fine strands of copper leaves reach up to 2 feet tall and cascade in an
attractive, vaselike shape. It prefers moist, well-drained soil.

Uses: Leatherleaf sedge works well in container plantings, especially where

it’s not hardy, because it retains its striking color and form all summer. Good
garden companions include copper-colored heucheras (Heuchera spp. and
cvs., Zones 3–8), blue-leaved Hosta ‘Halcyon’ (Zones 3–9),
and Astilbe ‘Lollipop’ (Zones 3–8).
Bowles golden sedge pairs well with purple
Name: Carex elata ‘Aurea’
Zones: 5–9
Light: Full sun to light shade
This popular, eye-popping sedge has upright, 14-inch-wide, chartreuse to
bright yellow foliage that gets 24 to 30 inches tall. It does not tolerate dry soil,
and its leaves become brighter in full sun.

Uses: Bowles golden sedge adds an energizing burst of color in any shade
planting or creates a dynamic contrast with purple-flowering, sun-loving
perennials. Pair it with winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum, Zones 3–
9), Geum ‘Flames of Passion’ (Zones 5–9), or interrupted fern (Osmunda
claytoniana, Zones 2–10).
‘Gold Fountains’ sedge has an arching habit
Photo/Illustration: Saxton Holt
Name: Carex dolichostachya ‘Gold Fountains’, syn. C. dolichostachya ‘Kaga-
nishiki’
Zones: 5–9
Light: Full sun to full shade
This softly mounding sedge boasts sharply defined, gold edges along its
arching, 14-inch-wide, emerald green leaves. It grows to 20 inches high and
prefers well-drained, fertile soil. In our Zone 5 climate, it can lose its vigor after
a tough winter.

Uses: ‘Gold Fountains’ adds vibrant color and shimmering texture to

plantings. Well-matched shade companions include bleeding heart (Dicentra
spectabilis, Zones 3–9), hostas (Hosta spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), and foam
flowers (Tiarella spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9).
Seersucker sedge sports puckered leaves
Name:
Carex plantaginea
Zones: 5–7
Light: Full sun to partial shade
This sedge produces 1½-inch-wide, dimpled, green leaves that resemble the
puckered cloth from which it gets its common name. It forms tight clumps up
to 9 inches high. Seersucker sedge performs best in well-drained soil.

Uses: This sedge makes a good filler plant in woodland gardens. Combine it
with hardy geranium (Geranium × cantabrigiense, Zones 5–8), heucherella
(× Heucherella ‘Burnished Bronze’, Zones 4–8), and marginal wood fern
(Dryopteris marginalis, Zones 3–8).
Blue sedge forms soft drifts
Name: Carex flacca, syn. C. glauca
Zones: 5–9
Light: Full sun to light shade
Blue sedge has long, narrow, pale blue foliage that lightly settles upon itself,
creating a soft, layered mound up to 15 inches high. It spreads by rhizomes at
a manageable rate. This sedge likes to be dry and will die in wet soil.

Uses: Blue sedge prefers full sun. Grow it with big betony (Stachys
macrantha ‘Hummelo’, Zones 7–9) and salvia (Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’,
Zones 5–9), which rise vertically through the sedge’s arching foliage. In light
shade, pair it with bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Bevan’s
Variety’, Zones 4–8).
Pennsylvania sedge works as a ground cover
Name:
Carex pensylvanica
Zones: 4–8
Light: Full sun to full shade
The fine-textured foliage of this sedge creates a softly arching effect. It
spreads by rhizomes, but not densely, to form a low, open sod 8 to 14 inches
tall. Exceptionally durable and flexible, Pennsylvania sedge flourishes in dry
shade and in soil that is moist and rich in organic matter.

Uses: This is a useful backbone for a mixed planting of ground covers.

Interplant it with shooting stars (Dodecatheon meadia, Zones 4–8), spotted
geranium (Geranium maculatum, Zones 4–8), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema
triphyllum, Zones 4–9), and wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana, Zones 4–9).
The subtle look they create when planted together resembles a naturally
occurring plant community. Pennsylvania sedge is also useful in preventing
soil erosion on a slope.
Palm sedge adds texture to a planting
Name:
Carex muskingumensis
Zones: 3–8
Light: Full sun to partial shade
This sedge resembles a small palm tree, with its narrow, green leaves
arranged around a stem like a palm frond. It grows about 2 feet high and
forms nonaggressive clumps. Although it favors moderately moist soil, it also
tolerates drier conditions—but only in partial shade. The leaves turn a soft
yellow in autumn.

Outstanding cultivars include ‘Oehme’, with gold-edged foliage; ‘Little Midge’,

which grows only 10 inches tall; and ‘Wachtposten’, which stays more upright
than the species.

Uses: Rely on its unusual foliage to add textural contrast, especially with
broad-leaved plants. Amiable companions include Hosta ‘White Triumphator’
(Zones 3–9), skullcap (Scutellaria incana, Zones 5–8), and pointed-leaf tick
trefoil (Desmodium glutinosum, Zones 4–9). Another possibility is Bowman’s
root (Gillenia trifoliata, Zones 5–9), a woodland native that gets up to 3 feet
tall, with maplelike leaves that arch over this sedge.
Identification: Characteristics of Broadleaf Plants
Broadleaf plants have relatively broad leaves, whereas leaves of grasses and sedges are b
vein from which smaller veins branch.

Click on the plant-part labels to see how each characteristic varies.

More about broadleaves

 Seedlings
 Growth habits
 Stems and specialized stems
 Roots
 Flowers/flower heads
 Leaves
o Leaf arrangements
o Leaf edges
o Leaf shapes
o Leaf veins
o Leaves: simple and compound
o Leaf stalks

Plants like mistletoes and naiads have so