Species fox sedge
Green leaves and brown-green seedheads

fox sedge

Carex vulpinoidea

Fox Sedge is an amazing plant species that is both attractive and incredibly useful. It's known for its lovely clumping habit and delicate, waving culms, plus it brings multiple season enjoyment to your landscape with its quiet golden-yellow blooms in summer and unique reddish seed heads in winter. This native perennial is surprisingly drought tolerant and prefers slightly acidic soils, as well as wet areas like pond and stream edges. It is an important source of food for beneficial insects including ladybugs, bees, and butterflies, and provides shelter for voles and birds. In short, Fox Sedge is an attractive, unique, and ecologically beneficial wildflower that can fit into any landscape.

Cycle:

Perennial

Watering:

Frequent

Propagation:

Division,Cutting,Seed Propagation,Stolon,Rhizome Propagation

Hardiness Zone:

3 - 7

Flowers:

Green Flowers

Sun:

Sun

Fruits:

brown Fruits Ready In

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green

Growth Rate:

Low

Maintenance:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Care Level:

Medium

watering

Fox sedge benefits from consistent moisture, and should be watered daily during periods of drought to avoid wilting. In general, the plant should receive an inch of water either from rainfall or supplemental irrigation per week. To properly water fox sedge, water thoroughly at the plant's base rather than giving it light sprinkles. It is best to water either early in the morning or in the evening, while avoiding the afternoon heat. When planting new specimens, they should be watered until the soil is evenly moist and then given a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to retain moisture. When growing in containers, water enough for some of the water to trickle out of the drainage holes to prevent over-watering. Fox sedge should do well in most locations that receive a good amount of sunlight.

sunlight

Fox sedge is a shade-tolerant plant species, so it doesn't require a lot of direct sunlight. In general, fox sedge can tolerate 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight each day in order to thrive. If planted in an area with more direct sunlight, the leaves of the fox sedge may become scorched and the plant may die. It's important to set fox sedge in a location that receives dappled sunlight or partial shade throughout the day.

pruning

Fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea) is best pruned in late winter, before new growth appears. Start by trimming off any dead, brown or yellowed foliage, as well as any leaves that have gotten too large or tangled. Once that is done, start shaping the plant by cutting off the tips of any stems to give a more uniform shape. Focus on shaping the remaining foliage. By removing no more than a third of the overall plant, you will encourage a lush and full plant form. It is important to note that fox sedge doesn’t usually require heavy pruning. A light yearly trimming should be enough to keep it looking tidy.

Season

Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering

Fox sedge typically starts flowering in May.

Harvest Fruit

The harvesting season for Carex vulpinoidea typically begins in late June and continues through August.

Hardiness Map