Carex merritt-fernaldii - Merritt Fernald's Sedge

Sizes available: TBD, coming in 2026

Basics: zones 3-7, 12-40" x 18", full sun to part shade, blooms late spring to early summer, ripened seed heads are attractive, likes dry, sandy, rocky, lean, acidic soils.

Common names: Merritt Fernald's Sedge, Fernald's Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae

Origin/Distribution: The majority of this sedge's range is in Canada, but it also occurs in all of New England and west into Wisconsin, northeastern Minnesota and Kansas. It is rare in Vermont and New York and a species of special concern in Wisconsin. Native to Maine.

Habitat: Occurs on sandy lake banks, roadsides, outcrops, balds, slopes, cliffs, open and dry meadow or woods, and disturbed areas. Also found on draining peat bogs.

More: More coming soon

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: sown at Honey Petal Plants with seed from Toadshade Wildflower Farm

Image credits: Image coming soon.