Carex pennsylvanica (Oak Sedge) - Qt Super Plugs

Oak sedge is a native creeping sedge that ranges from Maine to North Dakota, south to Illinois and Indiana and then down the Appalachian Plateau to Alabama and Georgia.  Oak sedge is attractive in form, with arching 12-18 inch stems that flow over each other to form a nice groundcover.

Oak sedge typically is found in dry oak woods (hence the name), as well as open areas in the Appalachians.  It grows to about 12 inches tall, spreading indefinitely to form a continuous carpet in its favored dry sites.  In more moist sites, other woodland forbs tend to outcompete Oak Sedge.

Uses

Oak sedge is an excellent groundcover for dry, shady sites - Drifts of it are very decorative, flowing over the ground in waves.  Hardy to Zone 3, the plants are semi-evergreen from Zone 6 south.

Oak sedge is a good plant to include in wooded areas of the landscape, especially where a lawn-like planting is desired.  Sedges do much better in the shade than true grasses, and Oak Sedge even tolerates light mowing. It is a good plant to interplant with woodland ephemerals that go dormant in the summer - A patch of trilliums in bloom over a groundcover of oak sedge looks very attractive!

How to Grow Oak Sedge

Oak sedge is very easy to grow, as long as the soil doesn't get too damp.  Oak sedge will grow in clay soil as well as sandy soil, spreading slowly to form a continuous groundcover.  Be careful in areas with heavy foot traffic, as Oak Sedge doesn't take compaction very well.

Plant 6 inches apart in average soil for the fastest results; for individual clumps, we recommend our SuperPlugs while our RootMaker plugs are excellent for planting as a groundcover.  Water the plants once a week for the first month after planting, and then let them go - Oak sedge plantings can be mown 3 or 4 times per season with good results.