Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Promoting environmentally sound gardening practices for over 35 years!

Rudbeckia Fulgida Banner July 2022
Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower). Photo by Mary Free
You are here: Home / Plants / Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic / Grasses & Sedges / Carex pensylvanica
(Pennsylvania Sedge)

Carex pensylvanica
(Pennsylvania Sedge)

Carex pensylvanica in April
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) and other shade plants
Clump of Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex pensylvanica in July

Note: Click on images to see enlarged photos, captions, and photo attributions.
On a mobile phone, click on the information symbol (circle with a letter ℹ︎ symbol).

Carex pensylvanica, Pennsylvania Sedge Grass / Sedge Height: 1⁄2–11⁄2 feet Spread: 1⁄2–1 foot Bloom Color: Green, yellow, reddish purple, white Characteristics Semi-evergreen, shade-loving perennial sedge with fountaining habit Narrow, grass-like, medium green leaves, 8–12 inches long Insignificant inflorescences atop single rough culms (stems) from April to July are followed by tiny fruits (achenes) encased in sac-like bracts Foliage turns sandy-tan in fall Spreads by rhizomes to form loose colonies to dense mats with a creeping habit AttributesTolerates heavy shade and wet soilNo serious pests or diseases; deer rarely damageOften found growing near oak trees resulting in the common name “oak sedge”Attracts insects and birds Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Average, well-drained Light Requirements: Partial Shade, Shade Water Requirements: Dry, Moist Does not grow well from seed Cut to ground early spring to keep tidy appearance*It is native in DC and common in DE. It is native in most MD and PA counties. In VA, it is common in the mountains and Piedmont and infrequent in the Coastal Plain. **If used as a lawn substitute, then plant densely from purchased stock. It can be kept unmown or mowed 2–3 times per year at a height of 2–4 inches. Use in dry shade as alternative to lawn, ground cover, or underplanting for shade perennials Hardiness: USDA Zones 3–8 Excellent Replacement for Festuca arundinacea - Tall Fescue

Tried and True Native Plant Selections 
for the Mid-Atlantic

Print Version (Legal Size): 
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge)

Delicate, arching, semi-evergreen leaves define this native sedge found in much of the Mid-Atlantic Region.* In dry shade where lawn maintenance is a challenge, this substitute never needs mowing.

*It is native in DC and common in DE. It is native in most MD and PA counties. In VA, it is common in the mountains and Piedmont and infrequent in the Coastal Plain.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets