black sedge
Carex nigra
USDA zones4 to 8
SunHandles partial shade to full shade
WaterNeeds wet soil
Size6 to 9 inches tall1 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Grass/grass-like
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Not applicable
Garden uses
Notes
Black sedge (Carex nigra) is a grass for ground cover, rain gardens, and naturalized areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes part to full shade and wet soil. It stays low at 6 to 9 inches tall and spreads 12 to 36 inches wide. The foliage is evergreen, and the plant blooms in mid spring and again in mid to late summer.
Pairs well with Marsh fern, Purpurascens royal fern, Three-way sedge, and Michigan lily.
Native range
Europe.