Carex rosea - Curly Wood Sedge, Rosy Sedge

Carex rosea is an elegant green sedge with the 'rosea' colour limited to one small part of its flower.

It is a plant with a wide range of moisture tolerance from wet to dry and is valued most as a plant for dry shade.

Sometimes it is the simple landscapes that work best for difficult sites. A good example is planting islands of Greater wood rush (Luzula sylvatica) in a groundcover of Carex rosea.

Description: cool season; sod-forming (sends out very short rhizomes)
Foliage - green and narrow; 20-30cm (8-12") tall
Flowers - reddish, May-June; 25-35cm (10-14")

Ideal conditions: it is a woodland plant, so shade to part shade; wet to dry

Zones: 4 to 8 (find your zone; further info on plant hardiness)

Season of interest: May through frost

Partner with: Luzula and Sesleria in dry shade; Molinia and Scirpus in wet shade

Suggested uses: containers for shade, groundcover, drifts, naturalizing

When to plant and divide: spring, early fall

Drought tolerance rating: 3 (water to root depth every week) further info

Form: arching foliage

Native to: North America (eastern half)

Recommended spacing between plants: 30cm (12") why such a difference?

Pronunciation: Carex (KAIR-ex) rosea (rose-EE-uh)

More ornamental grasses

Compare Carex rosea to our other grasses in this handy chart.