Carex rosea

Sizes available: Landscape plugs

Basics: zones 3-9, 12" x 12", part sun to full shade, the bloom is a very cute, green, star-like spikelet in mid to late spring, medium wet to dry soils, but drought tolerant especially in shade. In brighter light it will not fare well unless the soil is consistently moist.

Common names: Rosy Sedge, Curly-styled Wood Sedge, Golden Star Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae

Origin/Distribution: central and eastern North America, native to Maine

Habitat: C. rosea's happy place is bright shade or part sun at a woodland edge, bottomland, shoreline of ponds and streams, dry to moist deciduous woods, oaks in particular

More: Cover for small mammals, amphibians, and ground-nesting birds. Sedges offer lovely grass-like textures in a matrix with other low-growing shade perennials and are deer and rabbit tolerant. Cut back in late winter before new growth begins. Carex rosea is closely related to Carex radiata and both often grow in association with oaks. Although Carex rosea is more often found on drier sites with Quercus alba, Q. rubra, or Q. macrocarpa and Carex radiata favors wetter sites and Quercus bicolor, they are also often found growing together.

Image credits: Frank Meuschke of Shelterwood Gardens