North Shore Plant Club
European Gray Sedge (Carex divulsa)
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| Semi-Evergreen Perennial Upright, Clump-Forming | |
A tough, evergreen-leaning sedge forming tidy, arching tufts of fine, gray-green foliage. Adaptable to sun or shade and a wide range of soil moisture, it makes a versatile, low-maintenance groundcover or lawn alternative. |
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Carex divulsa, commonly sold as European Gray Sedge, forms neat, arching clumps of narrow, gray-green leaves 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. Native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, it is remarkably adaptable, tolerating everything from full sun to deep shade and from dry to consistently moist soils. Inconspicuous brown and tan flower spikes appear in late spring. This species is sometimes mislabeled and sold in the trade as "Berkeley sedge," a name that properly belongs to the unrelated California native Carex tumulicola; this record uses the more accurate common name to avoid that confusion. Because it self-seeds readily, it is best sited where some spread is welcome rather than directly beside sensitive wetlands or waterways. |
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Pros
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Cons
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| Why Like | In its native range across Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, Carex divulsa grows in damp woodlands, hedgerows, and disturbed ground, where its dense, fine-textured clumps provide groundcover and erosion control on moist soils. It is not native to North America, and its tendency to self-seed into wet sites means gardeners here should keep it away from natural waterways and wetlands rather than relying on it for wildlife habitat value. |
Plant Data | |
| Mature Size | 12 - 36 inches tall. 12 - 24 inches wide. |
| Sun Exposure | Full Shade - Full Sun |
| Moisture Tolerance | Dry - Medium |
| Zones | 5a - 9b (Usually hardy to -20° F) |
| Tags | Deer Resistant, Dry, Dry Shade Tolerant, Foot Traffic Tolerant, Full Shade, Full Sun, Grasses, Low Maintenance, Medium, Native to Africa, Native to Asia, Native to Europe, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Shade Tolerant |
| Bloom Period | April to May |
| Flower Color | Brown, Tan |
Plant Club Content |
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Pricing and Availability HistoryClick a label to toggle visibility for that size
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Past Availability2025 : 08/10 - 08/232024 : 07/02 - 09/08 2023 : 08/24 - 09/10 |
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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!
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.
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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Membership is free, but — since we rely on delivery and local pick-up — you have to live near one of our hubs (or be willing to drive to a site to pick them up). If you live farther away, and would like to help us bring the club to your neighbors, please email helpusgrow@northshoreplantclub.com.
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!
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!