Pennsylvania Sedge
By Lise Fracalossi
Carex pensylvanica
Native to: All New England
Life cycle: Perennial
Light: Full Sun to Full Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry
Height: 6-10”
Spread: 12-18”
Spacing: 6-10”
Natural Habitat: Both wide open sunny meadows and in dense, dry woodlands. It is often in sandy, acidic soils.
Pairs Well With: Wild columbine, yellow trout lily, flax-leaved stiff-aster, bearberry, common star-grass, and wood ferns.
Benefits: Bird Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Urban Environment, Host Plant
“Carex pensylvanica is a fine-textured Sedge that reproduces by rhizomes and rarely reaches heights of more than 8" when blooming. It is sought-after for its look of a traditional lawn and for its dry-soil tolerance and ability to grow in full sun or full shade. To get a solid stand of this hardy sedge that so many desire, divide plants over the years. It will spread between 3-8" each year depending on the soil moisture of the site. ”
–Prairie Moon Nursery
“Pennsylvania sedge supports dozens of butterfly and moth species, a prime lawn alternative for dry shade and moist sun. This short sedge spreads gradually to form a dense mat. Needing neither irrigation nor mowing, it grows quite nicely where traditional turf struggles.”
–Native Plant Trust

Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
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