Long-beaked sedge - Carex sprengelii

Features: Patricia Hill, author of Design Your Natural Midwest Garden spoke to us in July 2014, and she recommended Long-beaked Sedge. The link below takes you to her page in which she discusses carexes and tree underplantings.  

It forms clumps and has an attractive shape and seed heads, low-growing, a great carex to use as a groundcover or matrix for other low growing woodland plants.  One of our board members grew this from seed last year, and the young plants had a nice red fall color.  Sedges are important ecologically, feeding caterpillars and the seeds feed birds.  

Light:  Part-shade/ Shade

Soil: Adaptable--moist conditions preferred

Height: 2’

Blooms: May, June

See more information and photos at: Natural Midwest Garden and USDA Plants Database

Photos: 1. Matt Lavin vai Wikimedia, 2. Midwest Groundcovers