Carex crinita is a tall native sedge known for its elegant arching foliage and showy drooping seed heads. Its graceful movement, texture, and clumping habit make it suitable for both restoration and ornamental use.
Height & Spread: 24 - 36 in x 18 - 24 in
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Preference: Moist to wet soils, including clay and loam
Watering Needs: High; thrives in consistently moist or seasonally flooded areas
Deer Resistance: Deer resistant
Native Status
This species is native to eastern North America, commonly found in wetland habitats, floodplains, and wet prairies.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Butterflies
- Supports caterpillars of native species such as Delaware Skipper, Dion Skipper, and Mulberry Wing in moist meadow habitats.
Birds
- Seeds are eaten by wetland birds such as Red Winged Blackbirds and Swamp Sparrows, while its dense foliage offers nesting cover.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations
- Space 18 - 24 in apart to form natural drifts or stabilize wetland edges.
Landscape Placement
- Ideal for rain gardens, pond margins, wet meadows, and streambanks. Adds height and flowing form to native plantings and stormwater retention zones.
Companion Plants
- Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) - Brings spikes of pink flowers that contrast with the soft foliage of Carex crinita.
- Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) - Supports Monarchs and thrives in similarly wet soils.
- Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) - Offers brilliant red blooms and vertical accent in moist shade or sun.
- Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed) - Adds late season height and rich purple flowers in rain gardens and wet borders.
- Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead) - Attracts pollinators and complements the textural elegance of Carex crinita.