Is Pennsylvania sedge a grass?
Pennsylvania sedge is a low, clumped, grass-like perennial, 6-12 in. high, with a cluster of brown seed capsules clinging high on the stem. Foliage is pale-green in spring and summer, turning sandy-tan in fall.
How can you tell a lawn from a sedge?
In grasses, the culms are cylindrical and covered in nodes (swollen joints); if you were to cut open a grass or bamboo, you would notice that the culms are hollow, and the nodes are solid. But with sedges–which have no nodes–it is the culms themselves that are solid (not to mention triangular).
Is Pennsylvania sedge invasive?
Sedges are grass-like plants that are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant and easy to grow. The invasive nutsedge ( But there are many species that flourish in dry soil. Sedges can thrive in a range of light conditions from sun to shade.
How do you maintain sedge grass?
Sedge plants take to occasional mowing in lawn situations and have the advantage of requiring little further attention, unlike traditional turf grass, which needs plenty of added nitrogen and may get weedy. When fertilizing, feed the plant in early summer with a light nitrogen plant food.
Can you prune Carex?
Answer: You can prune your sedges (Carex) to keep them within bounds. To do it, gather up the leaves in one hand and, using a pair of scissors, cut off the top third, including the long flowering stems. This will leave the plant arching out gracefully, but not trailing along the ground.
Can Pennsylvania sedge be mowed?
As a mowed lawn, this sedge looks best cut two to three times per year at 3 to 4 inches high. Plant Pennsylvania sedge from plugs 6 to 12 inches on center in fall or spring.
Where should I plant my Pennsylvania sedge?
Plants prosper in dappled sunlight or part shade. Moist soil is preferred but plants will tolerate average soils and some drought. This sedge is pest resistant and unpalatable to deer and other herbivores. In gardens, groundcover plantings should be cut to the ground during late winter.
Will Pennsylvania sedge grow in full sun?
Pennsylvania Sedge (above). Planted one foot on center, it will fill in to form a dense low-growing, maintenance free groundcover. Requires a well-drained soil, in light to full shade.
How can you tell a sedge from a rush?
If the stem is solid, peel the leaves back if the plant has leaves, and roll the stem between your fingers. If it rolls easily between your fingers, it’s a round stem and is most likely a rush. If it does not roll easily, it’s an angular stem, which is characteristic of sedges (“sedges have edges”).
How fast does Pennsylvania sedge spread?
3-6 inches a year
This is a cool season evergreen sedge that is clump forming but spreads 3-6 inches a year by underground rhizomes.