Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery

Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery

Pennsylvania Sedge

Spotswood Greenery

Carex pensylvanica

size #1 Pot

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Price

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North American Native

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Pairs well with

Pennsylvania sedge is the closest thing to a lawn that will grow in dry shade. Carex pensylvanica forms a soft, fine-textured mat 6 to 12 inches tall, spreading slowly by runners to fill in between trees where turf grass has never worked. Hardy from Zone 3 through Zone 8 in part shade to full shade, and it knits together over two or three seasons.

The foliage is narrow, arching, and a soft green, moving in a way that reads more like a meadow than a planting, and it stays low enough that it never needs regular mowing. Cut it back once in late winter and it looks fresh again.

Small brownish flower spikes appear in spring and are easy to miss. Nobody grows this one for bloom.

Pennsylvania sedge grows naturally on the floor of oak woodlands, so dry shade under mature trees is its native condition rather than a compromise. It tolerates root competition, poor soil, and drought once established, and it takes light foot traffic. Space plants 12 inches apart for coverage. Deer leave it alone.

Size at Maturity

Height 6"- 12" Spread 6"- 12"

Growing Zone

USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8

Lowest Temperatures -30°F to -20°F

Light Requirements

Part shade to full shade - less than 3 hours of direct sun, or dappled light through the day

Wildlife Benefits

Attracts Songbirds
Attracts Butterflies

Native Range

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Special Conditions

Deer Resistant
Drought Tolerant

Seasons of Interest

Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter

How to Plant

Give your new plant the best start possible. Click here for general planting instructions.

Grow With Confidence

We stand behind every plant we ship. Click here to view our warranty.

Easy to find what I was looking

Easy to find what I was looking for

Thank you so

Thank you so much!

Found exactly what I was looking

Found exactly what I was looking for

I ordered 2 native plants both arrived on time and with one exception- not under control of

I ordered 2 native plants both arrived on time and with one exception- not under control of vendor- as expected- I’ll check how to deal with this one plant abs and hope it’s resolved and resilient- decent value otherwise and keep it native. -
W R Leigh in NC

Great

Great service

So far

So far, healthy plant.

Received two ornamental flowering almonds

Received two ornamental flowering almonds. They were bigger than expected beautiful lush green and I was totally impressed. I wanted to get a heads up with planting them this August and get them growing so I could enjoy them in the spring. Thank you so much. Absolutely stunning.

I am so happy I found this shop!

I am so happy I found this shop! Every step of the buying experience has been smooth from the very first order. I am a repeat customer and will definitely continue to support this business!

I've received four roses from Spotswood Greenery and each won has been a big

I've received four roses from Spotswood Greenery and each won has been a big, healthy, beautiful plant. Shipping is super quick and prices are reasonable. I'm super satisfied and will be ordering many more!

Exceptional Roses

EXCEPTIONAL ROSES!

Recently, I received a #3 pot Wollerton Old Hall Rose, a #3 Alnwick Rose, and a #2 pot Sweet Mademoiselle rose from Spotswood Greenery. I could not be more pleased and grateful. All plants are in perfect condition. Each is supported by incredibly healthy roots, several Charles Atlas-like stems, and beautiful foliage. Packaging was very secure. Clearly done with care! Shipping was quite prompt. Now, pricing! I've grown roses for 40 of my 67 years. In that time, it's easy for me to say that Spotswood has exceeded every other source without question. I found three roses in stock I had wanted! The quality is champion! The prices are very good, excellent when one buys at the free shipping level! Worth every penny! Thank you, every one, on the Spotswood Greenery Team!
Brian Lowry
Scottsburg, Indiana

Great selection

Great selection, good prices and fast servuce

Great!

Great!

nice to talk to a person who answers the phone

nice to talk to a person who answers the phone and cares and is american

I just received my hypericum red fame and was

I just received my hypericum red fame and was amazed how big it was and just as pretty as my established one I have had a couple years. So happy because the last one I ordered online from another nursery came as a little stub compared to this! I will definitely use Spotswood Greenery for now on!

Wonderful

Wonderful

Quick shipping

Bought a David Austin rose; it arrived quickly however it had some damage upon arrival. Ended up pruning and defoliating a good bit to get rid of the broken cane and pest damage, but I expect it to be a beautiful bush down the road.

Lovely plants

Lovely plants, get with your shipper.

Comfortable ordering process

The information and accuracy of the description of the ordered plants was great. The ability to search for specific plants was nice. Could search for terms not pre-defined and still came up with relevant specimens.

The online ordering process went smoothly.

Wonderful nursery will buy from

Wonderful nursery will buy from again!!!

I ordered ~8 David Austin roses from here

I ordered ~8 David Austin roses from here. They were equal in quality to the ones at my local nurseries (better than some), and $10 cheaper. Established roots, full of buds that have become gorgeous blooms. Will absolutely order from Spotswood again!

Fast shipping and great

Fast shipping and great, full plants. I prefer shipping here vs David Austin directly because of how big and healthy roses arrive.

Beautiful shrub I’ve been looking for and found

Beautiful shrub I’ve been looking for and found it here very pleased

Superb source for DA roses

Superb source for DA roses. Very full and healthy plants. Very secure shipping. Most highly recommended!

Lovely

Lovely choices!

Speedy detailed and efficient

Speedy detailed and efficient.

I would love to share my experience

I would love to share my experience. My Eden’s were packed so carefully and arrived in perfect condition.Shipped quickly and are just beautiful.

This rose bush is beautiful full of blooms this is the first time I received anything like it

This rose bush is beautiful full of blooms this is the first time I received anything like it, I will definitely buy fro this nursery again ☺️

Perfectly packaged roses for shipping

Perfectly packaged roses for shipping. Arrived healthy & thriving even after a 2 day weather delay!Extremely happy with my purchase from Spotswood💜

Buy Again

All beautiful healthy plants that arrived quickly and stable.

Planting and Care Guide

Planting Tips

Plant in moist to average, well-drained soil with organic matter. Tolerates dry shade better than most groundcovers. Space 12–18 inches apart. Water thoroughly after planting.

Care Tips

Water regularly after planting; once established it tolerates moderate to significant drought in shade- one of its key strengths as a groundcover. Mow or shear the planting to a few inches in early spring to remove old foliage before fresh growth emerges. No fertilization is generally needed. Divide every 4–5 years if desired. Essentially pest- and disease-free. An outstanding native groundcover for dry shade under established trees where most other plants struggle.