Species Pretty Sedge
yellow-brown spikelets with green foliage

Pretty Sedge

Carex woodii

Pretty Sedge (Carex woodii) is a stunning evergreen ornamental grass with a graceful, arching form and furry evergreen foliage. It sports attractive, green-tipped tan seed pods that create contrast against its bright green foliage. It works great for creating a textural effect to gardens and woodland edges, and it is ideal for naturalizing and growing in shade, especially on moist, wooded slopes. It comes from woody areas across the United States, providing a unique wildflower look to gardens and wildlife habitats. A true garden showstopper, it will display gorgeous reddish or purple flowers in late spring before maturing to pretty tan seed pods. Its easy-to-grow features make it an attractive addition to any garden.

Watering:

Minimal

Propagation:

Division,Cutting,Seed Propagation,Layering Propagation

Hardiness Zone:

Sun:

full sun,part shade

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green

Growth Rate:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

watering

Pretty Sedge (Carex woodii) should be watered about once a week. The amount of water used should be enough to moisten the soil, but not allow the roots to sit in puddles of standing water. During the summer months, the soil should stay slightly moist for best results, so monitor soil moisture levels often. During the winter months, however, water much less frequently, letting the soil dry out slightly between waterings.

sunlight

Pretty Sedge prefers full sun to partial shade. It needs at least 4 hours of direct sun each day, but 6 to 8 hours is preferable. It is best planted in the springtime because this gives it plenty of time to establish itself before the winter months. During the summer months, the sunlight needs to be on the plant for even longer amounts of time, up to 10 hours per day. During the winter, the sun exposure should be limited to about 4 to 6 hours each day.

pruning

Pretty Sedge should be pruned once a year during the middle of the winter, when it is dormant, or during the late summer depending on when the plant is most likely to form new shoots. When pruning, remove any dead, damaged, or diseased shoots and prune back all tall shoots that are more than 1-third of the height of the plant. If the plant becomes overly crowded, you may need to divide it and replant it in early spring or late summer for the best results.