Sedge Plant Characteristics
Most sedges are perennials.
Their stems are solid and triangular in shape and they grow from 3 to 36 inches tall.
They grow best inareas with wet soil.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Sedges spread by rhizomes and have an average lifespan of 2 to 10 years.
A great spot is under a tree, which tends to be a moist, shady area.
This will help stop the plant spreading.
David Beaulieu
The plants should fill in by the end of the season, providing you with complete ground coverage.
Growing Needs
Sedges are not particularly fussy.
Their growing needs are usually adaptable, but sedges will do best in areas with partial sun or shade.
seven75/Getty Images
It prefers moist soil that is sandy, loamy or clay which is either acidic or alkaline.
Types of Sedges
Here are 10 types of sedges to consider growing.
The ‘Spark Plug’cultivaris a great substitute for invasive ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea).
AlpamayoPhoto/Getty Images
It reaches about 1 foot tall, with a spread of slightly less than that.
It’s not a perennial north of zone 7, but some Northerners treat them as annuals.
Leatherleaf Sedge (Carex buchananii)
seven75/Getty Images
Of a similar height is leatherleaf sedge.
David J. Stang / Wikimedia Commons /CC BY-SA 4.0
But that is where the comparisons end.
The ornamental value of leatherleaf sedge is provided by the coppery color of its leaves.
It forms dense clumps, whereas ‘Spark Plug’ is more loosely put together.
fotolinchen/Getty Images
The leaves of the leatherleaf also have a finer texture.
This pop in of sedge, while tolerant of partial shade, will color up better in full sun.
A popular cultivar of leatherleaf sedge is ‘Red Rooster.’
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Provide this jot down of sedge with a wet soil.
Thisdeer-resistant perennial, while tolerant of full shade, will perform much better in partial shade.
Since it needs wet soil, it is an excellent choice for water gardens.
Nahhan/Getty Images
It is another dense, clump-forming plant.
This plant produces clumps of soft foliage that invites a touch from the human hand.
Its love of moist soils makes it a great candidate for your water garden.
FredCollin/Getty Images
It produces a dense clump, spreads via rhizomes, and likes wet soil.
In spring it bears coppery-brown flowers, but they are insignificant compared to the ornamental value of the foliage.
While the plant is grown for its leaves, its flowers do attract bees and butterflies.
seven75/Getty Images
With its gently cascading foliage, this is another “soft” sedge.
But its chief ornamental feature is the reddish-bronze color of its wispy leaves.
Consider displaying several of them as edging plants along a brick walkway.
Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty Images
It may well be the more popular of the two, though, because its color is more intense.
Green margins on the leaf set off an interior of creamy yellow, giving the impression of gold.
Install several as a ground cover to brighten an area in partial shade.
Mountain sedge will be one of your best bets.
It offers the added benefit of being tolerant of alkaline soil.
It’s also a good choice if you want a short sedge (averaging 6 inches in height).
Adding some interest to its shiny green leaves are spikes of brown flowers in spring.
Since this is a spreading sedge, it makes for a good ground cover.
Sedge leaves have edges, and grass leaves have nodes all along the sides.
Some sedge grass can be invasive if left to grow unchecked.
Sedges can spread three to each inches per year.
