Carex sprengelii - LONG-BEAKED SEDGE
Top performing sedge in Mt. Cuba Carex trials - gaining 4.4 points (out of 5) in shade conditions, and 4.0 for sunny location.
Adaptable to soils and light conditions, but likes more moisture.
Ground-covering growth.
Cool season sedge (grows actively in the cooler first part of the season).
Ornamental drooping flowers can flop some after the peak in June - cutting them off helps with the more tidy look in the second half of the season.
Divide, if the clumps look old.
Blooming Time: April/May-June
Size: 2' tall and 2-3' wide clumps
USDA Zones: 3 to 9
Culture: Sun, half shade, shade, any soil that doesn't tend to dry out too easily. Tolerant to alkaline soils
Moisture Needs: average (medium), medium-moist, moist, wet.
Origin: Flood plains, along rivers, shores, banks, moist woods, moist roadsides, moist bluffs and thickets. Native to northern states, Midwest, Canada, see the BONAP distribution map.
Black walnut tolerance: yes
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: yes
Attracts Hummingbirds: no, but attracts small song birds and small mammals
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep pot
Picture copyright: Mt. Cuba
Plant combinations: Very universal use in areas with some shade during the day. In masses or bigger groups, as a ground covering perennial, or substitute it in lawns in difficult spots. Some great perennial companions are Aquilegia canadensis, Asarum, Brunnera, Chelone, Dicentra, Epimedium, Helleborus, Heuchera, Hostas, Phlox divaricata, Persicaria, ferns, fine-leaved sedges, spring ephemerals, bulbs and many others.
Carex sprengelii - LONG-BEAKED SEDGE
Top performing sedge in Mt. Cuba Carex trials - gaining 4.4 points (out of 5) in shade conditions, and 4.0 for sunny location.
Adaptable to soils and light conditions, but likes more moisture.
Ground-covering growth.
Cool season sedge (grows actively in the cooler first part of the season).
Ornamental drooping flowers can flop some after the peak in June - cutting them off helps with the more tidy look in the second half of the season.
Divide, if the clumps look old.
Blooming Time: April/May-June
Size: 2' tall and 2-3' wide clumps
USDA Zones: 3 to 9
Culture: Sun, half shade, shade, any soil that doesn't tend to dry out too easily. Tolerant to alkaline soils
Moisture Needs: average (medium), medium-moist, moist, wet.
Origin: Flood plains, along rivers, shores, banks, moist woods, moist roadsides, moist bluffs and thickets. Native to northern states, Midwest, Canada, see the BONAP distribution map.
Black walnut tolerance: yes
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: yes
Attracts Hummingbirds: no, but attracts small song birds and small mammals
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep pot
Picture copyright: Mt. Cuba
Plant combinations: Very universal use in areas with some shade during the day. In masses or bigger groups, as a ground covering perennial, or substitute it in lawns in difficult spots. Some great perennial companions are Aquilegia canadensis, Asarum, Brunnera, Chelone, Dicentra, Epimedium, Helleborus, Heuchera, Hostas, Phlox divaricata, Persicaria, ferns, fine-leaved sedges, spring ephemerals, bulbs and many others.