Appalachian Sedge (Carex appalachica)
KARE-ex appalachica

Deciduous Perennial Fountain, Clump-Forming in the Cyperaceae Family
Fine texture, fountain habit; makes a lovely groundcover in dry shady sites, even in root zone of trees.

Carex appalachica (Appalachian Sedge) is a fine-textured, clump-forming sedge native to dry, shady woodlands across the eastern United States, including the Appalachian region. Its thread-like, arching green leaves create a graceful, weeping fountain form about 6-12 inches tall and 10-18 inches wide. Inconspicuous greenish flower spikes appear in spring, maturing to light brown. This sedge thrives in dry shade beneath trees - a notoriously difficult planting site for many perennials - and gradually forms attractive colonies. It serves as a larval host plant for skipper and satyr butterflies, and its seed is eaten by birds and turtles. Deer generally leave it alone.

Pros

  • Fine-textured, graceful weeping habit
  • Thrives in dry shade under trees, a tough site for most perennials
  • Deer resistant
  • Host plant for skipper and satyr butterflies

Cons

  • Slow to establish and spread
  • Flowers are inconspicuous, not a visual feature
Why Like

A valuable low-maintenance native for the toughest spot in the garden: dry shade under established trees. Serves as a larval host plant for skipper and satyr butterfly caterpillars, and its seed feeds birds and turtles. Deer tend to leave it alone, and it forms attractive, self-sustaining colonies over time without spreading aggressively.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 8 - 12 inches tall. 8 - 12 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Dry, Full Shade, Grasses, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Wet Site Tolerant
Bloom Period Inconspicuous; blooms in spring
Flower Color Green
Foliage Color
 

Plant Club Content
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
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!