Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Carex pensylvanica
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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.
Height 6"- 12" Spread 6"- 12"
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8
Lowest Temperatures -30°F to -20°F
Part shade to full shade - less than 3 hours of direct sun, or dappled light through the day
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
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