These grass-like plants have beautiful foliage and are easy to grow.
Sedge is a grass-like plant that sways in the wind and pairs nicely with coarse-texture plants such as hostas.
Some native sedges can even be used as lawn replacement.
Credit: Michal Venera
Along with the attractive foliage, many sedges have small, spiny seed heads lending even more textural interest.
Sedge provides shelter and food for small animals and pollinators.
Soggy, water-logged soil is one of them.
Credit: Michal Venera
Also, let the growth habit of the sedge guide your selection of the planting site.
Other types are clump-forming and will stay put no matter where they are.
How and When to Plant Sedge
The planting time varies by species.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Generally, cool-season sedges, which include many of the native sedges, are best planted in the fall.
Leatherleaf sedge prefers spring planting.
Place the plant in the hole and verify the root crown is slightly above soil level.
Credit: David McDonald
Backfill the hole with soil and gently tamp it down.
The top of the root ball should still be visible and slightly higher than soil level.
Some types can handle both sun and shade.
Credit: Scott Little
Soil and Water
Some sedges like evenly moist soil while others handle droughts well.
One thing all sedges have in common is that they don’t tolerate wet soil.
Waterlogged soil can cause sedges to rot.
Credit: Ed Gohlich
Temperature and Humidity
Sedges comprise one of the largest groups of plants with close to 2,000 species.
They can be found in almost every part of the world, thriving in different climate conditions.
Fertilizer
Most sedges do not require any fertilization.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Pruning
Sedges should be cut back infrequently and only if they start to look ragged.
Fill a container of at least 6 inches in diameter with a well-draining potting mix.
ensure it has large drainage holes.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Unlike sedge planted in the landscape, container plants need frequent watering and monthly fertilizer during the growing season.
On the bright side, deer and herbivore critters leave the plant alone.
Plants form fountains of golden yellow that are 30 inches tall.
Credit: Julie Maris Semarco
Its unique foliage color is an attention-grabber.
Zones 5-9
Golden Sedge
This selection ofCarex elatalights up dark corners with its yellow-edged bright green leaves.
It grows about 2 feet tall.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Zones 5-8
Japanese Grass Sedge
This cultivar ofCarex morrowiiforms 18-inch-tall clumps with 12-inch-wide glistening green leaves.
It is hardy in Zones 6-9.
This tough, shade-loving perennial blooms with white or purplish lavender funnel-shape or flared flowers in summer.
Some are intensely fragrant.
Hostas are afavorite of slugsand deer.
All have the classic, impossibly intricate flowers.
The falls may be “bearded” or not.
Some cultivars bloom a second time in late summer.
Some species prefer alkaline soil, while others prefer acidic soil.
Phlox needs moist soil with excellent drainage that is slightly acid, neutral, or alkaline.
Most of the non-native sedges sold by nurseries are native to Asia.
Some sedges such as nutsedge are pesky weeds that invade lawns and take considerable effort to control.
But there are numerous sedges, especially native sedges, that are desirable ornamental plants with high wildlife value.
