Species Bear Sedge
brown-beige spikelets with lime-brown foliage and stems

Bear Sedge

Carex ursina

Bear Sedge (Carex ursina) is a perennial herbaceous plant native to North America. It grows to about 12 inches tall, with a greenish-bronze or yellowish foliage and a brownish-black ridged stem. Its leaves are mainly basal and short, about one inch in length. Its flowers are small, greenish-white and arranged in a drooping inflorescence. It is an attractive plant for ornamental gardens and is a good choice for a variety of different areas, such as woodland edges and moist meadows. Bear Sedge is adapted to shady, moist areas and does well in partial sun. It prefers rich soil with good drainage and regular watering. Its cone-like fruits are attractive to birds and attracts wildlife to gardens.

Watering:

Minimal

Propagation:

Division,Cutting,Seed Propagation,Rhizome Propagation

Hardiness Zone:

Sun:

full sun,part shade

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green,yellow

Growth Rate:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Care Level:

Medium

watering

Bear Sedge should be watered every 7 to 10 days, depending on the season. In the warmer months, it should receive more frequent watering while in cooler months, it's fine with less. In addition, Bear Sedge should only receive water when the top inch or 2 of soil is dry. Overwatering can cause root rot, so be sure to monitor soil moisture and adjust as needed.

sunlight

Bear Sedge prefers to grow in well-drained soil and in sunny to part shade locations. It tolerates full sun as long as the soil is kept moist, however, it can get stressed if exposed to direct sun for too long in dry summer days. It needs approximately 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. During the summer months, the best time for the Bear Sedge to receive its sunlight is during the morning hours and early afternoon. It does well with afternoon shade during the hottest parts of the day.

pruning

Bear Sedge typically requires light pruning once a year during its inactive period of late winter/early spring. Pruning should be limited to just light deadheading of any browned out foliage (if desired) and removing any overly long or wayward stems. Do not prune more than 1/3 of the total plant as this could damage it. The best practice is to prune in small increments.