Carex vulpinoidea
A North American native sedge forming tufts with long rhizomes, occurring in wetlands and disturbed habitats and often weedy along roadsides, tolerates wet to seasonally wet sites, and features a dense spike-like inflorescence up to about 10 cm long, with heights typically 12–36 inches.
Common Names
Fox Sedge, Brown Fox Sedge, Common Fox Sedge
Summary
Fox Sedge is a native North American perennial sedge that forms dense tufts up to 1 to 3 feet tall, with arching, fine-textured green leaves and green seed spikes that mature to brown, producing seed heads that resemble a fox’s tail. It grows in moist to wet soils in full sun to partial shade, tolerates temporary flooding, and is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, propagation by division, and it spreads by rhizomes and seed, with potential to be aggressive. It is well suited for rain gardens, bioswales, erosion control, and wildlife habitat, and it offers deer resistance and low maintenance.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-3 feet
Spread
6-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Type
Moist to wet loamy soil
Soil Drainage
Moist to wet soil with good drainage that stays consistently moist and does not dry out completely.
Soil pH
6.5-6.5, No single ideal pH, tolerates acidic to alkaline soils
Bloom Color
Green
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Golden yellow, yellowish brown, or brown
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds, Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Michx.
- Publication
- Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 169 (1803)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Poales
- Family
- Cyperaceae
- Genus
- Carex
Synonyms
Carex microsperma Carex moniezii Carex multiflora var. microsperma Carex polymorpha Carex scabrior Carex setacea Carex vulpiniformis Carex vulpinoidea var. pycnocephala Carex vulpinoidea var. setacea Vignea multiflora Vignea setacea Vignea vulpinoidea Carex vulpinoidea var. glomerata Carex vulpinoidea f. segregata Carex vulpinoidea var. segregata Carex vaginiformis Carex vulpinoidea var. scabrior Carex scabrior Carex vulpinoidea f. vulpinoidea Carex vulpinoidea var. vulpinoidea Carex bracteosa Carex muhlenbergii Carex multiflora Carex vulpinoidea var. microsperma