Creek Sedge (Carex amphibola)

Hardy, eastern North American perennial sedge
Description: Fountain-shaped mounds of narrow, shiny green foliage; green seed clusters emerge in late spring; semi-evergreen in warmer zones
Habit: Grows 8-12 inches high and wide; clump-forming and vigorous
Culture: Prefers partial to full shade and moist to wet soil; tolerates full sun if not allowed to dry out
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 3
Origin: Eastern North America
Attributes: Attracts butterflies; Deer resistant; Rain Garden; Groundcover

Sedges are an immense genus that exists worldwide and many native and introduced species now grow throughout North America. First named by German botanist Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel in his work on grasses, Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum (1855), Creek Sedge has a broad native range from Ontario south to Georgia and west to Texas. This ornamental sedge thrives along waterways, in deciduous woodlands and rain gardens, and helps to stabilize sloped ground. Deer avoid this plant, but it is a food and host plant for some skipper species of butterflies and turtles eat the seeds.