GRASS: Carex grayi (Gray’s Sedge) New in 2026!

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic

Named after the famous American botanist Asa Gray, this native* of both wet woods and swamps will also grow well in average garden soil. A highly ornamental sedge, its striking inflorescences bloom for a long period, maturing to brown seed heads that have been compared to the medieval club-like morning star. 

*It is native to DC. It is not reported in DE. In MD, it occurs mostly in the Piedmont. It is present throughout PA, with rare populations in the northeast. In VA, it is frequent and locally common in the inner Coastal Plain and outer Piedmont and rare elsewhere. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.

Learn more about Carex grayi.

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