Carex Pennsylvania | TN

Pennsylvania Sedge

Carex pensylvanica, or Pennsylvania sedge, is a plant native to eastern North America. This type of sedge grows well in USDA zones three through eight, tolerating cold winters and weather well. The sedge grows from six inches to one foot tall. It prefers part to full shade, so it makes an excellent choice for decorative grass in the shady areas of your property.

Plants of the Carex pensylvanica sedge prefer loose, loamy soil in a sun-dappled part of your garden. The plant readily spreads via rhizomes and also self-seed in optimal growing conditions. It grows in loose colonies of clumps. Seeds become produced from the flowers the plant produces. These flowers bloom in May. The roots of this sedge are red-brown, and the stems hold both male and female flower spikes. Male spikes grow above the female flower spikes.

Pennsylvania sedge requires either little water or dry conditions to thrive, unlike many of its relatives. Little to no maintenance is needed to keep this lovely sedge looking great on your grounds. You’ll find it helpful when you need a naturalized ground cover, especially under maple trees.

Bulrushes

The bulrush has small bracts that look like leaves. Sometimes these blades appear either healthy-developed or may appear reduced. The flowers vary from variety to variety and grow in well-defined clusters. Each of the flower spike clumps has only one scale that supports it. From 50 to 500, flowers may occur per spike. The stems of the bulrush look hollow and get thicker closer to the base of the flowers. The plant grows from about three to six feet tall. This type of grass prefers growing in a moist area.

The seeds of most bulrushes contain one seed that does not open when the seed ripens. One side of the surface of a bulrush seed appears flat, while the other has a bulge.

Growing these plants on your property provides sturdy grass as well as food for ducks and other wildlife. They tend to grow best from zones three through nine.