Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: fox sedge
Type: Rush or Sedge
Family: Cyperaceae
Native Range: North America
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 1.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to July
Bloom Description: Green
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Water Plant, Naturalize, Rain Garden
Flower: Insignificant
Tolerate: Deer
Culture
Grows well in damp to very wet soils in full sun to partial shade. Seeds should be planted in the fall or moist-stratified and planted in the spring.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Carex vulpinoidea, commonly called fox sedge, is native to much of temperate North America where it grows in a variety of open, moist habitats including roadside ditches, riparian edges, swamps, marshes, and wet prairies. It is introduced in parts of Europe and New Zealand. Its narrow grass-like leaf blades grow in 2 feet clumps up to 3 feet in height. The seedheads, which spray out attractively from the center of the clump, resemble a fox's tail but are short-lived. Wetland species of Carex provide food and shelter to a variety of fauna including invertebrates, songbirds, and waterfowl such as mallards, soras, and rails. Foliage promptly turns yellow after frost.
Genus name from Latin means cutter in reference to the sharp leaves and stem edges (rushes are round but sedges have edges) found on most species' plants.
Problems
This sedge may be weedy and spreads rapidly.
Uses
Is useful for locations that remain moist such as around water gardens or near streams, springs, or ponds. It may also grow well in the partial shade of a moist woods. Suitable for rain gardens, bioretention basins, and bioswales.