Carex lowei, commonly known as Lowe’s Sedge, is an evergreen perennial grass native to the moist, shaded forest floors and stream banks of Madeira. It typically grows to a height of 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 meters) and a width of 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 meters), forming dense clumps of arching, fine-textured foliage. The plant is not particularly known for its flowers, which are small and brownish, but rather for its lush, grass-like leaves that provide year-round interest.

Lowe’s Sedge is valued for its ability to thrive in shady conditions, making it an excellent ground cover for woodland gardens, shaded borders, or as an understory plant in moist areas. It is also used to stabilize soil on stream banks or slopes. In cultivation, it requires consistent moisture and can tolerate wet soils, but it is also adaptable to medium moisture levels as long as the soil does not dry out completely. It prefers part shade but can tolerate full shade, and it is best grown in soils with slow to medium drainage. While generally low-maintenance, it can be susceptible to rust and leaf spot diseases in overly wet conditions.CC BY-SA 4.0