Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Eastern Wood Sedge

Description:

A vigorous native sedge producing an evergreen mound of shiny lime green foliage; interesting green flower spikes in late spring; compact, and useful in rock gardens, or as a shade tolerant groundcover; highly adaptable

Ornamental Features

Common Woodland Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. It features dainty spikes of green spider-like flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to mid summer. Its grassy leaves remain lime green in colour throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Common Woodland Sedge is an herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with a shapely form and gracefully arching stems. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading
• Suckering

Common Woodland Sedge is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Common Woodland Sedge will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Common Woodland Sedge is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.