Species False Hop Sedge
yellow-lime spikelets with brown-lime leaves and stems

False Hop Sedge

Carex lupuliformis

False Hop Sedge is an encrusting perennial herb that grows along wetlands in North America. It is one of the most common rushes found in coastal areas. The plant grows in mats, often forming large colonies. Its brown wiry stem grows up to 80 centimeters tall and is topped with bright green leaves. Its clustered inflorescences, which appear in July, are composed of conspicuous terminal spikelets. False Hop Sedge is a valuable food source for many animals and provides cover to small aquatic creatures. It's also used for soil erosion control and landscaping, as it requires a minimal amount of watering and maintenance.

Watering:

Minimal

Propagation:

Division,Cutting,Seed Propagation,Stolon

Hardiness Zone:

Flowers:

Green/Brown Flowers

Sun:

Sun

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green

Growth Rate:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Care Level:

Medium

watering

False Hop Sedge (Carex lupuliformis) does best when watered every 2 weeks. For best success, water thoroughly until the soil is completely saturated and then allow for the soil to dry out in between waterings. During periods of drought, or when planting in sandy soils, False Hop Sedge may require watering up to once a week. During cooler months, the frequency of watering can be reduced to once a month.

sunlight

False Hop Sedge grows best in full sun or light shade. It prefers soils that are constantly moist and receives at least 4 hours of direct sunlight daily. It should be placed in an area that receives the most sunlight possible, ideally receiving sunlight all day. In extremely hot climates, midday sunlight may need to be partially filtered, to avoid the plant overexposing.

pruning

False Hop Sedge is best pruned during the spring months, when the soil has had a chance to warm up and the temperature outside has been consistently warm for a few weeks. Pruning for this plant species should be done carefully and sparingly. The stems should be cut back to the ground after the previous year's growth has begun to yellow. This should be done in order to promote healthy new growth and to keep the plant from getting too large. Dead or broken stems should also be removed in order to encourage new and healthy growth. It is important to remember to not prune the plant too much as this could damage the plant and even kill it.

Season

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

False Hop Sedge typically starts flowering in May.