Common Bur Sedge

Carex grayi

Native to: VT, MA, CT (rare in the wild)

Life cycle: Perennial

Light: Full Sun to Full Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet to Medium

Height: 3’
Spacing: 1-2’

Blooms: May-August
Bloom Color: Nondescript

Natural Habitat: Grows in moist environments as slowly-spreading colonies. It is an uncommon sedge because it thrives in both woodlands and wetlands.

Benefits: Bird Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Host Plant (eg. Eyed Brown Butterfly, Appalachian Brown Butterfly)

“Like many sedge species, its most attractive (and most photographed) phase is during its mid-summer fruiting period. The star-like flower makes Carex grayi an attractive addition to fresh or dried arrangements. Some say the flower looks more like a medieval weapon than a star, and the sedge is sometimes called Mace Sedge."

–Prairie Moon Nursery