SafePlants

San Diego Sedge (Carex spissa)

Considerations for Pets

• Resembles small cattails.
• Grows in clumps.
• May be attractive to wildlife.

Considerations for Children

• Resembles small cattails.
• Grows in clumps.
• May be attractive to wildlife.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Carex spissa L.H. Bailey
• Common Name: San Diego Sedge
• Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)
• Symbol: CASP6

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to the southwestern United States (California, Arizona, and New Mexico) and far northern Mexico.
• Found in moist areas and stream beds from Baja California north to San Luis Obispo County.
• Specifically mentioned in the San Francisco Bay Area south to San Diego County and the foothills of the Sierra.
• Found in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and oak woodlands.
• Grows along stream banks and waterways.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• A large, evergreen, clumping sedge.
• Foliage color is green-gray, sometimes described as silver-grey.
• Reaches 3 to 5 feet tall.
• Foliage is stress-deciduous.
• Produces golden flowers in the spring.

Ecological Role

• Provides shelter and habitat for wildlife.
• Host plant to the rare Harbison's dun skipper or sedge witch (Euphyes vestris harbisonii).

Growing Conditions and Tolerances

• Tolerates alkaline soil, clay soil, and serpentine soil.
• Tolerates seasonal flooding and high traffic (people walking on it).
• Tolerates deer.
• Grows in full sun or part shade.
• Requires moisture-retentive soil.
• Reliable along streamsides and waterways.
• Adapted to both wet and dry periods.

Quirky Facts

• Carex spissa and Carex senta look nearly identical, with the only difference being in their flower parts.
• Resembles small cattails.

Further Information

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)
• Dave's Garden
• CalPhotos
• Discover Life
• San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM)
• EOL (Encyclopedia of Life)