Carex albicans - Whitetinge Sedge

Sizes available: HPP quart

Basics: zones 4-8, 1-1.5' x 1-1.5', part to full shade, tiny blooms in mid-late spring, likes medium to dry soils, not picky as to soil type, very adaptable and drought tolerant once established

Common names: Whitetinge Sedge, White-tinged Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae

Origin/Distrubution: eastern North America from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Texas. Native to Maine

Habitat: dry woodlands and forests, shady ledges, partially shaded ridge tops, can be found in association with oak, maple, or beech

More: Carex albican's fruits are disbursed by ants. Sedge species provided cover, habitat, and shade to invertebrates, small mammals, and ground-nesting birds. They are unbeatable ground cover in almost any garden setting and are deer and rabbit resistant. The Mt Cuba sedge trials gave C. albicans high points for its "flowy tussocks". Cut back in early spring, not an aggressive seeder.

Even more: If I could talk more gardeners into filling their spaces with Carex species, I would consider my life well lived. They are an excellent ground cover layer and there are species for every conceivable light and moisture condition. Some of them also make good lawn alternatives. They can be planted under trees, shrubs, and taller herbaceous layers, acting as living mulch, retaining moisture and suppressing weeds and looking good doing it. They offer top notch habitat for wildlife, providing shelter and food for birds, small mammals, and invertebrates, and acting as larval hosts for numerous species. Their fibrous root systems are good at holding banks, slopes, and edges. For the most part they are deer and rabbit resistant. And last but not least, they provide structural backbone - variations in texture, color, and rhythm - to your ornamental beds. 

Source: Landscape plugs from New Moon, grown on at Honey Petal Plants

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons