Deciduous Perennial Clump-Forming in the Cyperaceae Family
Buy Crested Oval Sedge
Size
Notes
Price
Availability
A clump-forming wetland native with distinctive crested, crystalline-looking flower spikes that mature from green to straw and reddish-brown.
Carex cristatella (Crested Oval Sedge, also called Crested Sedge) is a native North American sedge forming dense, tufted clumps of bright green, narrow leaf blades. Its dense flower and fruit spikes have a distinctive crested, crystalline appearance, maturing from light green to straw-colored to light reddish-brown. Found naturally in meadows, swamps, marshes, shores, swales, wet ditches, and floodplains, it tolerates full sun to partial shade and prefers consistently moist to wet soil. Late in the season, old prostrate stems can root at their nodes, occasionally forming new plants the following year, though the species is otherwise clump-forming rather than aggressively spreading.
Pros
Distinctive crested, crystalline-looking fruit spikes add texture
Clump-forming habit stays tidy rather than spreading aggressively
Deer resistant native wetland sedge
Tolerates full sun to partial shade
Cons
Requires consistently moist to wet soil for best appearance
Inconspicuous flowers offer little color until fruit spikes mature
Foliage may look sparse if allowed to dry out
Why Like
Carex cristatella is a native wetland sedge whose distinctive crested fruit spikes add textural interest, providing structure and habitat in meadows, marshes, and floodplains where few other plants thrive.
Highlights
Distinctive crested, crystalline fruit spikes unique among sedges in this genus
True clump-forming habit, useful where a spreading sedge is unwanted
Valuable for rain gardens, wet meadows, and shady borders
Plant Data
Mature Size
24 - 36 inches
tall. 18 - 24 inches
wide.
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance
Medium - Wet: Prefers consistently moist to wet soil; classified as a facultative wetland species and does not tolerate drought.
Zones
3a - 7a
(Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags
Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Erosion Control, For a Shady Spot, Full Sun, Good for Rain Garden, Grasses, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Pairs well with other wetland and woodland-edge natives such as Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris), Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead), Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern), and Carex vulpinoidea (Fox Sedge).
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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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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