Description
Hopefully this is the first of many sedge species that we will be offering. Carex is vastly under-represented in the native plant trade, and we vow to do something about it.
Pennsylvania sedge is one of the best choices for replacing that resource hogging grass lawn. Another bonus is that this species is shade tolerant, so you can now have some green ground cover in those areas that were too dark to support grass. This sedge can form large monotypic (one species) stands under a forest canopy, spreading vegetatively by rhizomes. Grows to about 6 inches tall before the leaves droop over. Grows readily in dry, acidic soils, with poor fertility.
There have been some really interesting studies done showing how this sedge actually thrives on disturbance. Pennsylvania sedge can be the dominant groundcover in areas with high invasive earthworm density and deer browse, both of which are an ever increasing issue here in Maine. This may be due in part because Carex pensylvanica is not a mycorrhizally dependent species. (Invasive earthworms are known to interfere with and sever mycorrhizal networks due to their gregarious feeding.) So maybe this is just the plant you were looking for!
Many references state that this is a larval host plant for a number of lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) but the information is scant as to exactly what species are involved. I spent some time looking through my library and the only hit I got was for the Appalachian brown satyr butterfly.
1 gallon pots (many of these can be further divided into several plants) for $25 each.
