No images found for this plant ID: 8434.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "8434" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
prairie sedge
Scientific Name: Carex prairea
Family: Cyperaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Other Names: CT (prairie sedge), ME (prairie sedge), PA (prairi
Sedges: Versatile Plants for Gardens and Landscapes
Sedges are gaining popularity as a lawn replacement option in gardens and landscapes. They offer attractive seed heads in spring and summer, and some varieties provide striking fall color and winter cover.
Considerations for Pets
- Some sedges, such as Prairie Fire Sedge, have slender, grass-like foliage.
- Many sedges produce seed heads.
Carex (Sedge) Species
- Carex is the scientific name for sedge.
Distribution and Habitat
- Sedges occupy a variety of habitats, ranging from deep-water marshes to dry, gravelly blufftop and ridge prairies.
- They are often found in wet meadows, prairies, fields, bogs, fens, and along lakeshores.
- Some sedges are found in high-pH fens, in the shade of conifers.
- Specific locations mentioned include Minnesota, Ohio, and New Zealand.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Sedges are cool-season graminoids, sprouting early in the spring.
- Some species, like Carex pensylvanica, are fine-textured and reproduce by rhizomes, rarely exceeding 8 inches in height when blooming.
- Carex bicknellii is a perennial sedge with a rounded form and triangular leafy stems.
- Prairie Fire Sedge has green-bronze foliage tipped with orange.
- Carex testacea 'Prairie Fire' forms a low, cascading mound of narrow, grassy leaves.
- Some species are densely caespitose with erect stems reaching 30-60 cm.
Ecological Role
- Sedges are the basis of the food chain for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.
- They are an integral part of native landscapes, particularly in prairies and grasslands.
Specific Sedges Mentioned
- Prairie Sedge: Carex prairea
- Synonym: Carex prairea Dewey ex Alph. Wood
- Medium-sized and often bronzy in color.
- Grows well in moist or wet situations.
- Ivory Sedge: Carex eburnea
- Common Woodland Sedge: Carex blanda
- Broom Sedge: Andropogon virginicus
- Awl Fruited Sedge
- Meadow Sedge: Carex granularis
- Carex hystericina
- Orange Sedge, Orange New Zealand Sedge: Carex testacea 'Prairie Fire Color Grass'
Resources and Further Information
- For more information on native plants and prairie fens, visit www.nativeplants.msu.edu.
- Find help and information on Carex prairea (prairie sedge) from the RHS.
- Explore Prairie Moon Nursery's board on Pinterest for grasses, sedges, and rushes.
- Riveredge Nature Center Plant Field Guide