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ornamental grass

Little Midge Palm Sedge

Carex muskingumensis 'Little Midge'

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Little Midge Palm Sedge (Carex muskingumensis 'Little Midge') at Lakeshore Garden Centres

Little Midge Palm Sedge

Little Midge Palm Sedge

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  12 inches

Spread:  15 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade  full shade 

Hardiness Zone:  3b

Description:

A slow growing, miniature variety with a dense, clumping growth habit; fine textured, radiant green foliage will turn yellow in full sun; striking, golden-brown flowers appear in summer; a wonderful addition to garden beds, borders or patio containers

Ornamental Features

Little Midge Palm Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It has masses of beautiful spikes of gold flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its attractive tiny grassy leaves are green in colour. The foliage often turns coppery-bronze in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Little Midge Palm Sedge is an herbaceous perennial grass with a mounded form. 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. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Little Midge Palm Sedge is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Little Midge Palm Sedge will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 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 herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. 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. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Little Midge Palm 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 and foliage 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.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Edging  Garden  Groundcover  Naturalizing  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color  Texture  Plant Form 
Ornamental Features