Care to Flex Some Carex?

Let Sedge Give You the Edge

We’ve already had The Talk about shrinking your lawn. Quick refresher: turfgrass lawns are sterile ecological wastelands that consume massive amounts of scarce water while requiring applications of toxic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. They’re also costly time sucks for homeowners. If you’re concerned about our global biodiversity and climate crises, one of the most constructive things you can do is replace some of your lawn with native plants.

I know, we’ve all learned to love the look of lush green outdoor carpets. Hard to trade that in for something completely different. But what if I told you you could have your native garden AND a verdant fairway, no trade-offs required? It’s true. You can.

Mt. Cuba Center recently released a report on Carex, commonly known as sedges. These are grass-like perennials, different species of which can be found in most corners of the planet. From shady woodlands to coastal sand dunes – and everything in between – there’s a sedge that thrives there.

If you’re thinking about alternatives to your turfgrass lawn, consider sedges!

Graceful Carex cherokeensis, or Cherokee sedge. Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center.

Plucky Carex plantaginea, or seersucker sedge. Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Cool Carex laxiculmis ‘Hobb’, or bunny blue sedge. This is a cultivar that may or may not offer the ecological benefits of its straight species kin, but I’m including it to hint at the color variations available. Photo by Lolly Jewett.

They come in a range of textures from fine to coarse and in a full spectrum of greens. Some are semi-evergreen while others are deciduous (as in, they go dormant over the winter but pop right back up in the spring). They can be planted en masse as a groundcover, serving much the same purpose as your turfgrass. Unlike turfgrass, though, native Carex species contribute valuable ecosystem services. Small mammals and birds eat their seeds, and caterpillars munch on their leaves. They also provide habitat for small invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. Once established, they should require no irrigation or poisonous chemicals. In addition, their roots can extend one to two feet underground (compared to a couple of inches for turfgrass), which makes them helpful in stabilizing soil and infiltrating stormwater. Instead of degrading the environment, they contribute to it.

Among the top performers in the Mt Cuba study were wood’s sedge (Carex woodii), Cherokee sedge (C. cherokeensis) and common brome sedge (C. bromoides).

At the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, MD on a December afternoon, a wavy field of what I believe is Carex, although I’m not sure what species. The effect is similar to gazing out at the ocean. Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Many Carex species have a graceful mounding habit and look lovely just left to their own devices. They require little care beyond an annual late-winter cut-back, if that. But if you’re really after that manicured effect, the Mt. Cuba trial tested for “mowability.” Several species got high marks for their durability and looks under a regime of biweekly shearing at a height of four inches. Carex woodii, C. eburnea and C. socialis earned the top three spots in those rankings, with quite a few others right behind them.

Carex woodii (wood’s sedge) getting a haircut. Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center.

While this particular study assessed sedge performance only in the mid-Atlantic region of the U. S., there are plenty of tried-and-true species to go around. California sedge (Carex californica) is native to its namesake and the rest of the West Coast. Texas sedge (Carex texensis) is native to its namesake and much of the South, Southeast and mid-Atlantic. Florida sedge (Carex floridana) is native to…well, you get the picture. And these are just a sprinkling of the hundreds of Carex species native to the U.S.

Green carpet-worthy! "7g. Sedge Seeds" by kqedquest is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

If, like me, you’ve been lying awake at night wondering how to tell the genus Carex apart from other grass-like plants, I’ve got a mnemonic for you: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses are hollow, what have you found?”

You’re welcome. Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center.

My one disappointment with the report is that it overlooked Appalachian sedge (Carex appalachica), which I’ve loved ever since I heard someone compare it to Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. Remember unintelligible Cousin Itt?

See what I mean? "Appalachian Sedge (Carex appalachica)" by williamaveryhudson (less the artistic “enhancements”) is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

If you think you might be interested in sedges, your best source will be a nursery, whether bricks-and-mortar or online, that specializes in native plants. To find a native plant retailer near you, try the PlantNative Nursery Directory, which allows you to search by your state, or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center Suppliers Directory, which allows you to search by state or zip code. Neither of these sources is exhaustive, though. The best repository of nursery info is likely to be your local native plant society or Wild Ones chapter.

If you live in the DC vicinity and could use assistance with sustainable landscaping, visit Bees’ Knees Design. I’d be happy to help you.