Wow, Las Palitas doesn't make it sound like such a great option... Are they wrong? "Dune Sedge, Carex pansa is a very small creeping dune plant. Leaves making little tufts where it is happy. The happier the plant, the bigger the lawn. Needs near beach sand. The only time I've ever seen it look good in the wild was in an inner dune low spot that was moist and protected, then Dune Sedge almost made a lumpy lawn. Dune sedge cannot compete with alien grasses such as Veldt or Bromus. It sometimes gets called out for restoration, in that situation it should be either grown from propagules from the site, or divided on site. In yards it will only work in beach sand, moist protected flagstone/paver crack type situations. Someone has been spending time talking this one up. Here's a typical email or conversation. We want a lawn for about 5000 sq. feet of our backyard. However, we don't want to water or mow much (with the emphasis on water). We live in Los Osos where our soil is relatively fine-grained, dirty sand. We have two kids ages 7 and 4 who want to play sports (soccer, wiffle ball, etc.) in the backyard. Carex pansa looks like it might do the trick but we have a few questions: 1. Will it take traffic? no 2. Would it be a good idea to add something like composted steer manure to the soil? no 3. Can a gallon be split to create plugs? yes but we only have a few 4. Will we really be using less water than something like a dwarf tall fescue or other slow-growing, drought resistant grass mixes that could be grown from seed? (In the driest months, in areas that we don't water, the sand is moist 6-10 inches down and deeper.) Carex pansa is native there, forming little clumps separated by feet of open sand kinda like a dog with mange. Will not work as lawn, none of the natives will that we've seen, except maybe Dantonia, but it needs more water than some of the turf lawn grasses. If you wish to try to make a lawn with Dune Sedge make the lawn as small as you can to make the kids happy, put in 'trails' , native groundcovers and shrubs. Wildlife, kids and you will be happy." Here is a link that might be useful: Las Pilitas link

Hi Rob, You have a very popular Field Sedge or Meadow Sedge. It's proper Latin name is Carex praegracilis, and it's proper common name is California Field Sedge. Here's what San Marcos Growers (one of the best out there) has to say: "Carex praegracilis (California Field Sedge) - A short, rich green sedge selected by John Greenlee as an alternative to turf grass. Growing to 6-8 inches tall and spreading by rhizomes to form a carpet that tolerates moderate foot traffic. A good plant as a solid ground cover, between and around stepping stones or mixed with other bulbs, perennials and grasses to create a natural meadow look. It tolerates full sun to partial shade but has a period of summer dormancy in warmer, drier climates. Moderate water requirements make this plant not quite drought tolerant but certainly lower than most lawn grasses. It is hardy to at least 10 F and likely to come back from the underground rhizomes after lower temperatures. We received this sedge from John Greenlee as Carex pansa but later was keyed to the very closely related Carex praegracilis. We listed it as Carex praegracilis with the common name of California Field Sedge in our 2001 and 2002 catalogs but unfortunately the plant had become popularized in the California horticultural trade under the name Carex pansa and we reluctantly began listing this plant as such. In an article in the summer 2006 issue of Pacific Horticulture titled "A Sedge By Another Name" the authors urge growers to correctly identify this sedge as Carex praegracilis and to use the common name Clustered Field Sedge instead of Meadow Sedge, which may be confused with an eastern U.S. species. We have decided to return to listing it as Carex praegracilis - California Field Sedge with the designation [C. pansa, Hort.] to indicate that is has been previously listed incorrectly by this name." You can mow this Carex with a lawnmower, and it will respond with a flush of fresh growth, but it does have the summer dormancy mentioned by San Marcos. The best way to water it is the same way you would water a normal turfgrass lawn. Long deep periods of sprinkling, every few weeks during your dry season.

Some larger growing grasses/sedges that are native to southern California would also work well as filler between the shrubs. You might consider using Eleymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince', which slowly spreads to form large clumps, has lovely pale blue foliage and can get 4 feet tall. Various Juncus species such as Juncus patens(bluish foliage) and Juncus effusus or Juncus 'Carman's Japan' are both in the 2 foot height range and a deep green color. Juncus are well adapted to both wet soils and drought, and are best planted to establish in winter. The Carex species such as C. pansa and C. praegacilis are both not ideal on slopes with clay soils, and would probably need more irrigation than you are wanting to give them. Carex tumulicola is easier to establish, but still is likely to look better if given more water and some shade. As a complement to the shrubs you already have on this slope, and as a faster filler to cover the slope, you might also consider using some fast growing Salvia species as filler/ground cover. Salvia clevelandii would work well, as would S. leucophylla 'Pt. Sal Spreader', which has great gray colored foliage and can spread quickly to form a shrub 8 foot across. You could also use the common Monkey Flower, Mimulus aurantiacus, which is a drought tolerant, low spreading herbaceous shrub native to the Santa Monica Mountains. Another great herbaceous perennial for southern California beach areas would have to include Erigeron glaucus and its hybrids and cultivars. You might find that adding automated drip irrigation for this slope increases the growth rate and ease of establishing anything you plant, as hand watering is unlikely to be getting water deep enough to really encourage deep rooting on a slope. Getting things planted now, in January is the best time to get anything out there established with the winter rains and cooler weather.

Having laptop issues, so I can't show you the best photos, but here you go: This one is with dog and lawn looking rather scruffy :), but the bentgrass doesn't need to be mowed regularly, and you have to accept the tuffety nature of the growth. Here's another view of how it flops over and perhaps gets the name: This week we mowed it down, and it is flanked by carex, oakleaf hydrangea, some gaura and yarrow, some fringe flowers, california fuschia and I think carpenteria. It is a very dry edge with only late afternoon sun, so everything struggles a bit. Here is another side where we just grew the carex and some irises and flowering maples And the same spot post haircut :)