Carex obnupta
An evergreen, rhizomatous sedge native to western North America that forms dense semi-tufts up to 2–5 ft tall, tolerates wet and brackish soils, stabilizes streambanks, provides wildlife food and cover, and occurs from British Columbia to California, Oregon, and Washington.
Common Names
Slough Sedge, Coast Carex, Tall Basket Grass
Summary
Slough sedge (Carex obnupta) is an evergreen perennial native to western North America, ranging from British Columbia to California with occurrences in Oregon and Washington. It forms dense tufts and spreads by long creeping rhizomes, with upright stems 60–150 cm tall, leaves bearing tight cross-wrinkled sheaths, and an inflorescence of 3–7 spikes.
It thrives in moist to wet soils within wetlands, marshes, riverbanks, and wet meadows and tolerates brackish conditions, making it useful for erosion control and streambank stabilization. For production, propagation uses seed with plugs available, requiring about 45 days of cool/moist stratification at around 38F to break dormancy and producing plugs in 100–120 days, and it occurs in USDA zones 6a–9b.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-5 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 6a-9b
Sunlight Requirements
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade.
Soil Type
Moist to wet soils
Soil Drainage
Wet, poorly drained soils.
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer (April–July)
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
No distinct fall foliage color
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Fast growing
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cutting, Division, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds, Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.H.Bailey
- Publication
- Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. , ser. 2, 3: 104 (1891)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Poales
- Family
- Cyperaceae
- Genus
- Carex