White-Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)
KARE-ex albicans

Semi-Evergreen Perennial Clump-Forming, Arching in the Cyperaceae Family
A shade-tolerant native sedge valued for its fine, arching foliage and good year-round interest.

Narrow, grass-like, upright-arching bright green leaf blades grow in dense tufts or loose colonies of tufts. Blooms in late spring (May) on flowering stems as tall as twenty inches. Native to North America from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Texas, including the Chicago region.

Pros

  • Illinois native supporting birds, butterflies, and pollinators
  • Tolerates dry soil better than most Carex species
  • Good foliage interest through much of the year
  • Rarely browsed by deer or rabbits

Cons

  • Flowers are inconspicuous, grown primarily for foliage
  • Slow to spread, so patience is needed for groundcover effect
Why Like In the wild, White-Tinged Sedge grows across dry, open woodlands throughout eastern North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Texas, where it provides food for birds, hosts butterfly and moth caterpillars, and is rarely browsed by deer.
Highlights Illinois native, shade-tolerant sedge with fine, arching foliage and good year-round interest; supports birds, butterflies, and pollinators; tolerates dry soil better than most sedges.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 12 - 18 inches tall. 18 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 4a - 8b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Full Shade, Full Sun, Grasses, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant
Bloom Period May
Flower Color Yellow
 

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Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other dry-shade woodland natives such as Heuchera (Coral Bells), Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern), and Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium).
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 09/20
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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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.


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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!