Sedge, Wood Gray

Description

Carex grisea, commonly known as Wood Gray Sedge is a native perennial clump forming sedge. Despite the common name, it is actually dark green in color.

The caterpillars of various butterflies, skippers, and moths feed on the foliage of Sedges.  In particular, woodland sedges are host plants of two woodland butterflies, Eyed Brown and Appalachian Brown. The seedheads of sedges are eaten by many kinds of birds. In woodlands, the Gray Squirrel and Fox Squirrel eat the seedheads to a limited extent. In contrast, White-Tailed Deer usually leave the foliage of sedges alone.

livestock eat the foliage.

This sedge adapts readily to light shade, moist conditions, and a fertile loamy soil with some organic material. It can be grown underneath trees. Carex grisea also resembles lily turf (Liriope sp.) and would be a good native alternative to that overused non-native ground cover.

Habitats include moist to mesic areas of rich deciduous woodlands, bottomland forests, woodland borders, and shaded roadside ditches. This is one of the more common sedges of moist woodlands.

Articles and Videos About This Plant

To learn more about native plants, check out the following links:

The Benefits of Grass Diversity

Using Native Plants and Dead Trees to Restore Stream Banks