Deciduous Perennial Clump-Forming in the Cyperaceae Family
Buy Short's Sedge
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Notes
Price
Availability
A clump-forming native sedge of moist woodland meadows, valued for its dark brown mature seed spikes and wildlife value.
Carex shortiana (Short's Sedge) is a native North American sedge forming dense, upright clumps of broad, blue-green leaf blades, often producing vegetative offsets over time. Inconspicuous flowers give way to distinctive flower and fruit spikes that darken to a deep brown by early summer. Found naturally in moist meadows near wooded areas, woodland openings, sedge meadows, seeps, fens, and riverbanks, it tolerates full sun to partial shade and prefers consistently moist to wet soil. Its seeds and foliage provide food for upland gamebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds, and it hosts caterpillars of several butterfly, skipper, and moth species.
Pros
Dense, clump-forming habit with attractive blue-green foliage
Distinctive dark brown seed spikes by early summer
Deer resistant; valuable food source for birds and butterflies/moths
Tolerates full sun to partial shade
Cons
Requires consistently moist to wet soil for best appearance
Inconspicuous flowers offer little color until seed spikes darken
May be browsed at the roots by moles, which eat its rhizomes
Why Like
Carex shortiana is a valuable wildlife plant, hosting caterpillars of butterflies, skippers, and moths while its seeds and spikelets feed upland gamebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds in moist meadows and woodland edges.
Highlights
Dark brown seed spikes add late-season textural interest
Supports a wide range of wildlife, from gamebirds to butterfly and moth caterpillars
Valuable for rain gardens, sedge meadows, and moist woodland edges
Plant Data
Mature Size
18 - 30 inches
tall. 12 - 18 inches
wide.
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance
Medium - Wet: Prefers consistently moist to wet soil; does not tolerate extended drought.
Zones
3a - 9b
(Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags
Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Wildlife, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Grasses, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Pairs well with other moist-meadow and woodland-edge natives such as Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris), Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead), Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia), and Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern).
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
Estimated Recipe Cost
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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About Ordering From The Plant Club
To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!
No Pricing or Availability Right Now
We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region.
It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!
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