Margaret Roach shared information about Carex plants aka sedges in her most recent NYTimes column. She talked with Sam Hoadley, the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. Sam is doing an online class on sedges and Mt. Cuba has just published the results of its Carex trials that ran from 2018 to 2022.
One of my favorite sedges (above) is Carex 'Beatlemania,' a sweet but slow grower.
According to the Mt. Cuba Center, their four-year Carex trial considered the "horticultural qualities, vigor, and adaptability of 70 different Carex species and cultivars." Plants were grown in shade and sun in average garden soil. In the last year of the trial, response to biweekly mowing was noted to see if Carexes can act as a lawn substitute.
I've looked at the trial information on line and given my love of sedges, I'll be using it for future purchases. I've also made Phlox and Hydrangea buying decisions based on other Mt. Cuba plant trials.Their plant trials, along with those of the Chicago Botanic Garden, are among the best sources of trust-worthy plant information on-line.
I've never thought about mowing sedges but that proposition is interesting as I've found that cleaning them up by hand is less than satisfying. So far, the only sedge that's stood the test of time in my garden is 'Evergold' but I'm always on the look-out for others that can handle our degree of dryness.
Posted by: Kris P | Monday, January 23, 2023 at 03:58 PM
Very interesting, thanks for the Mt Cuba info, the writeup they present is a perfect winter read and it has me thinking about more sedges to add. I mean I have other things going on in my life, but there's always time for segde-thoughts lol
Posted by: Frank | Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 08:19 AM
I need to add more sedges. There are a few growing here, but I think the back area would benefit by adding more.
Posted by: Beth@PlantPostings | Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 09:16 PM
Prairie Nursery in Westfield Wisconsin is a great source for sedges! Many many years ago I purchased an Ivory Sedge from them. I love poking divisions of the mother plant in odd places around my gardens and shrubs. Best of all, when I want to relax I give a sedge a haircut. Very satisfying!
Posted by: Claire Boyce | Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 04:05 PM
About ten years ago, on realizing that the many different sedges that have shown up here are natives, I decided to let most of them do their thing undisturbed (except for deadheading some large ones). So far, great results.
Carex appalachica, which is a lot like C. pennsylvanica, acts as a lawn on one side of the house, in the shade of the beech tree and moisture from two downspouts. It's mowed, but doesn't seem to need mowing as often as the grasses it blends into. It flowers just about the earliest of any serve here.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Mt. Cuba trials; they're such a huge service. The place itself is near the top of my bucket list of gardens to visit, and now that I'm most of the way recovered from a multi-year tussle with illness, I'm looking at that list with renewed determination.
Posted by: Nell | Tuesday, February 07, 2023 at 07:38 AM
NELL — Glad to hear you are doing well and lucky you to be able to make it to Mt. Cuba. A lot of gardens I would like to see are just further away than I feel like going anymore. So it is nice to be able to keep up with them online.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Tuesday, February 07, 2023 at 08:20 AM