Palm Sedge

BY: Elizabeth Noll

When it rains, it pours…and sometimes it doesn’t stop. If there’s a wetland forming where your garden used to be, consider the palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis). This native sedge hails from marshes and flood plains in the Midwest, but it looks like a miniature from the tropics. Light green, grasslike leaves radiate from the top of 2-foot-tall stems, creating the impression of a tiny palm tree. Its good looks and durability earned it the title of 2011 Grass of the Year (though technically it is not a grass) in the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s GreatPlants program. Leaves turn yellow after the first frost.

Common name: Palm sedge, palm branch sedge
Botanical name: Carex muskingumensis
Plant type: Sedge
Zones: 3 to 8
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Family: Cyperaceae

Growing conditions
• Sun: Full sun to part shade
• Soil: Average
• Moisture: Medium to wet

Care
• Mulch: None needed.
• Pruning: Cut back last year’s foliage in late winter.
• Fertilizer: None needed.

Propagation
• By seed or division

Pests and diseases
• Vulnerable to fungal leaf spots and rust.
• Aphids may be a problem.

Garden notes
• Use palm sedge in water gardens, rain gardens, or near ponds. It’s a hardy substitute for papyrus.
• In a rain garden or boggy area, combine palm sedge with other lovers of soggy soil, like blue flag, cardinal flower, ferns, and turtlehead.
• Palm sedge will also thrive in a container, as long as it gets enough water to keep the soil moist.
• Palm sedge spreads slowly by rhizomes and seed, but it’s not considered aggressive. Over time, it can become a beautiful ground cover.

Cultivars
• ‘Little Midge’ is a miniature version, about half the size of the species.
• ‘Oehme’ is variegated. Leaves emerge light green, then develop yellow margins.

All in the family
• Carex is a large genus (about 1,500 species) within a large family. Cyperaceae, the sedge family, contains 4,000 to 5,500 species, which are found from arctic regions to the tropics.
• You can tell a sedge from a grass by its stem. Grass stems are round and sedge stems typically have three sides. Remember: sedges have edges.

Where to buy
• Dove Creek Gardens, Millington, TN, 901-829-2306, www.dovecreekgardens.com
• Joy Creek Nursery, Scappoose, OR, 503-543-7474, www.joycreek.com (‘Oehme’)
• Lazy S’s Farm, Barboursville, VA, www.lazyssfarm.com
• Shooting Star Nursery, Georgetown, KY, 866-405-7979, www.shootingstarnursery.com

(Text by Elizabeth Noll, photo of Carex muskingumensis courtesy of Nebraska Statewide Arboretum)

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Current Articles \| Archives \| Search Palm Sedge Plant of the Week BY: Elizabeth Noll 0 When it rains, it pours…and sometimes it doesn’t stop. If there’s a wetland forming where your garden used to be, consider the palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis). This native sedge hails from marshes and flood plains in the Midwest, but it looks like a miniature from the tropics. Light green, grasslike leaves radiate from the top of 2-foot-tall stems, creating the impression of a tiny palm tree. Its good looks and durability earned it the title of 2011 Grass of the Year (though technically it is not a grass) in the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s GreatPlants program. Leaves turn yellow after the first frost. Common name: Palm sedge, palm branch sedge Botanical name: Carex muskingumensis Plant type: Sedge Zones: 3 to 8 Height: 2 to 3 feet Family: Cyperaceae Growing conditions • Sun: Full sun to part shade • Soil: Average • Moisture: Medium to wet Care • Mulch: None needed. • Pruning: Cut back last year’s foliage in late winter. • Fertilizer: None needed. Propagation • By seed or division Pests and diseases • Vulnerable to fungal leaf spots and rust. • Aphids may be a problem. Garden notes • Use palm sedge in water gardens, rain gardens, or near ponds. It’s a hardy substitute for papyrus. • In a rain garden or boggy area, combine palm sedge with other lovers of soggy soil, like blue flag, cardinal flower, ferns, and turtlehead. • Palm sedge will also thrive in a container, as long as it gets enough water to keep the soil moist. • Palm sedge spreads slowly by rhizomes and seed, but it’s not considered aggressive. Over time, it can become a beautiful ground cover. Cultivars • ‘Little Midge’ is a miniature version, about half the size of the species. • ‘Oehme’ is variegated. Leaves emerge light green, then develop yellow margins. All in the family • Carex is a large genus (about 1,500 species) within a large family. Cyperaceae, the sedge family, contains 4,000 to 5,500 species, which are found from arctic regions to the tropics. • You can tell a sedge from a grass by its stem. Grass stems are round and sedge stems typically have three sides. Remember: sedges have edges. Where to buy • Dove Creek Gardens, Millington, TN, 901-829-2306, www.dovecreekgardens.com • Joy Creek Nursery, Scappoose, OR, 503-543-7474, www.joycreek.com (‘Oehme’) • Lazy S’s Farm, Barboursville, VA, www.lazyssfarm.com • Shooting Star Nursery, Georgetown, KY, 866-405-7979, www.shootingstarnursery.com (Text by Elizabeth Noll, photo of Carex muskingumensis courtesy of Nebraska Statewide Arboretum) Comments There are currently no comments, be the first to post one. Post Comment Only registered users may post comments.