Crested Sedge
(Carex cristatella)
Crested Sedge (Carex cristatella)
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Quinten Wiegersma
CC BY 4.0
Image By:
Quinten Wiegersma
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 4.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Quinten Wiegersma | License Type: CC BY 4.0 | License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Rights Holder: Quinten Wiegersma | Publisher: iNaturalist | Date Created: 2018-07-16T14:08:56-07:00 |
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Carex cristatella, commonly known as Crested Sedge, is a semi-deciduous perennial grass native to a variety of habitats including wet meadows, marshes, floodplains, and riparian areas across the Eastern USA, Eastern Canada, and Midwest USA. It typically grows to a height of 3 feet (0.9 meters) and a width of 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 meters). The plant features narrow, arching leaves and produces brown, bristly flower spikes in late spring to early summer. The flowers are not particularly showy, but they add a fine-textured element to the landscape.
Crested Sedge is valued for its adaptability to wet conditions and its ability to stabilize soil, making it a good choice for rain gardens, water edges, and naturalized areas. It is also used in mass plantings for a textured ground cover effect. This sedge prefers consistently moist to wet soils and can tolerate a range of light conditions from full sun to part shade. While it is generally low-maintenance, it can spread by rhizomes and may require division every few years to maintain its shape and prevent unwanted spreading.CC BY-SA 4.0
Crested Sedge is valued for its adaptability to wet conditions and its ability to stabilize soil, making it a good choice for rain gardens, water edges, and naturalized areas. It is also used in mass plantings for a textured ground cover effect. This sedge prefers consistently moist to wet soils and can tolerate a range of light conditions from full sun to part shade. While it is generally low-maintenance, it can spread by rhizomes and may require division every few years to maintain its shape and prevent unwanted spreading.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Grass
- Height: 1-3 feet
- Width: 1-2 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Flower Color: N/A
- Flowering Season: Spring
- Leaf Retention: Semi-Deciduous
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water: Medium, High
- Drainage: Medium
Common Uses
Bird Garden, Butterfly Garden, Deer Resistant, Erosion Control, Groundcover, Low Maintenance
Natural Habitat
Native to wet meadows, marshes, floodplains, and riparian areas
Other Names
Common Names: Crested Oval Sedge, Oval Crested Sedge, Carex Accrêté
Scientific Names: , Carex cristatella, Carex cristata, Carex tribuloides var. cristata, Carex cristatella f. catelliformis, Carex cristatella f. cristatella, Carex cristata f. ellipsoidalis, Carex cristata var. catelliformis, Carex cristatella var. catelliformis, Carex lagopodioides var. cristata
GBIF Accepted Name: Carex cristatella Britton