Carex stipata

Common Names

Awl-Fruited Sedge, Prickly Sedge, Common Fox Sedge, Fox Sedge, Stalk-Grained Sedge, Sawbeaksedge, Awlfruit Sedge

Summary

Awl-fruited Sedge is a native perennial commonly found in wet sites such as river banks, shores, floodplain forests, marshes, wet meadows, and swamps, with light from part shade to sun. It grows in tufted clumps to about 1–4 ft tall, with basal, alternate leaves 4–15 mm wide and cross-wrinkled leaf sheaths; the inflorescence consists of branched clusters 2–4 inches long at the stem tip, where male flowers occur at the tip and female at the base. The plant forms dense clumps rather than colonies, bears bright green foliage, and is an obligate wetland species (OBL).

For cultivation, it tolerates consistently moist or wet soils and a range of light from full sun to shade; it is deer-resistant and attractive to insects and waterfowl, with flowering in spring to early summer. Practical uses include wetlands restoration, erosion control, wet meadows, stream or pond margins, rain gardens and stormwater management projects.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1-3 feet

Spread

3.5 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-9

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

Soil Type

Moist to wet soils

Soil Drainage

Consistently moist or wet soils.

Bloom Color

Green

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green (bright green to yellow-green, bronze-green, and light to medium green)

Fall Foliage Color

Golden brown

Growth Rate

Moderate

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, attracts birds, attracts other pollinators