About
Carex hirta is a perennial sedge that maintains its foliage year-round. It features narrow, hairy leaves that grow in loose tufts and spreads through rhizomes. In the summer, it produces greenish flowers arranged in upright, cylindrical clusters, which are later succeeded by small, green fruit.
About the genus
Carex encompasses both deciduous and evergreen species, characterized by their rhizomatous or tufted growth habits. These perennials feature triangular stems topped with linear or strap-like foliage, and they produce spikes that can be either short or elongated, adorned with small green or brown flowers.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Grass Like
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Wildlife gardens, Wildflower meadow
- Native to
- Europe to N Africa
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Naturally occurrs in damp, grassy places such as hedge banks and meadows, and can become a garden weed
- Pruning
- Comb or rake off any old, tired or dead leaves and flowers in spring
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame in spring or by division in early summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free