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Thoughts in Pennsylvania sedge

14 days ago

For the first time I found Pennsylvania sedge at a local nursery. Most sedges in local nurseries are the more ornamental types.

I’ve been wanting to add some sedges either as part of “ matrix” planting or in some swaths or groupings to replace some weedy areas, or just another type of informal edging perennial. I need some drought resistance to get through summers here. I’ve tried some ivory sedge ( in shady area) and prairie dropseed in sun ( I know they’re different!) , which I got by mail, and it’s just a year out, some came back but not definitely happy yet, as in some difficult soil, sloped but might be too heavy.

I have a yard that has a lot of rough or wild-ish areas, with shade or part shade from both direct tree canopy and part- day shade from neighboring trees. Soil is mostly a mess! But actually kind of variable, which I think is due to some areas being filled with at least a kind of topsoil-adjacent dirt when house built many years ago, & other areas that are very rocky ( very high # of small rocks per unit of soil) and sloped and of course rooty near trees.

In the areas I discovered had more workable soil, including working in some compost for better drainage while trying not to make it too rich, I’ve managed to make a few zones for native perennials & some shrubs, both sun & shade.

I’m wondering if Pennsylvania sedge would work in some areas , and if so, what would be best areas, how much preparation. I tend to do sort of a manageable zone, and expand it over time. I’ll never have “ sandy loam”, though! I admit this might be my finding a currently available plant and wanting to make it fit , in when I may not have the right conditions. Some other sedges that seem more appropriate for hot humid summers also seem to require wetter conditions. I have read a lot of what comes up in searches, but was hoping to get some insight from HOUZZ gardeners who’ve grown it, or killed it.

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Comments (3)

kitasei2
13 days ago
I have an area I want grass but not to mow. I planted a few penn sedge plants around a crab apple tree. When they succeeded I ordered 12 bareroot plants from Prairie Moon and just planted them. I didn't do any preparation other than weed. I also divided those I'd planted. Fingers crossed. According to PM it is difficult to grow this from seed so it's neither cheap nor quick.
marmiegard_z7b
Original Author
13 days ago
Thanks, kitasei2. What is your climate situation?

I got kind of hopeful I might have a spot for them, since I could get them locally & manage the planting time. Would be able to put in a group.
The pros& cons of experimenting with single plants of different types here and there ( something for fun, something for shade) is yes, I can trial something before a bigger investment, but, the watering through the first summer or 2! Getting one thing established and then adding more that then needs to establish— I’m trying to do more planting of specific areas so can water in everything in that zone.
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since you seem squeamish to do it ... the better question might be.. how do you actually do it ... its probably going to be a medusa like glob of roots which is not going to be condusive to be cut up easily ... per the above.. its sounds like a 'run it over with the truck' plant.. sharpen your shovel ... i mean real sharp .. wrestle it out of the pot ... and just go to town on cutting that thing up with the shovel ... half it.. quarter it .. have little fear... worst you can do is kill it.. lol ... since i have no experience with this plant .. am i right on just taking after this thing???? just keep in mind.. with many things.. they are not children.. dont treat them as such.. just do it ... carpe spadum ... lol ... ken ps: you might even have to jump on it a few times ... to flatten it enough.. so it doesnt roll while using your surgical shovel .... in the alternative.. get a serrated butcher knife from the dollar store.. and again.. go to town.. chainsaw??? ... sawzall ??? .... just do it ... there arent many grass type plants that are in the foo foo category of prima donnas ...
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I'm fairly certain- though not 100% sure- that the plants are all of the same variety. We do have a fair number of uninvited grasses growing in the back, and I'm glad to have some that can survive in the shade from our oak trees. I noticed several other familar looking grasses while trying to ID this one, including at least one other rosette grass, so it is possible that the first, uprooted plant was similar, but not the same. But if the fall plants can be somewhat variable, I think that could explain why they don't look completely the same? Also the uprooted plant was a smaller, less mature plant. I think the closeup photos from the first and second groups show the same sort of somewhat hairy stem and blade. To me they look the same, but I'm not a trained botanist, so if there's a glaring discrepancy, I could easily miss it! If you see such an incompatibility that's not likely to be due to variability of a species, please point out the difference, and I'll apologize for posting photos of two separate varieties. I don't mind being wrong in public if I can learn something from it! jekeesl, once I got onto the Dichanthelium "track", my first thought was laxiflorum. I do think I also am hosting another species or two from this family (including commutatum), so I'll spend some time with the 'Name That Plant' web site, the USDA Plants site, and Google Images to see if I can determine which ones I've got. Many thanks, Virginia
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kitasei2
13 days ago
That is a smart idea. I am in NY’s lower Hudson Valley, 7a with acidic loam on a rocky hillside.

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