About
Produces compact, semi-evergreen clumps of slender, elongated leaves that arch gracefully, ranging from pale to vibrant green. In early summer, elongated flower stems bear soft yellow-green blooms.
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
- North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Grass Like
- Habit
- Tufted
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants
- Native to
- Europe to N Africa, Iran & Lebanon
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Ideal for damp woodland gardens, grows best in moist but well-drained soil in part shade but adapts to a sunny spot if soil is reliably moist
- Pruning
- Cut back, rake or comb out any 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