Carex muskingumensis

Carex muskingumensis: Palm Tree Vibes for Soggy Ground

Palm Sedge looks like a stand of tiny palm trees, which is the closest your backyard will get to a vacation. Native, bright green and perfectly happy with wet feet or standing water. NO PASSPORT NEEDED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Carex muskingumensis
• Common Name: Palm Sedge
• Height: 60–90 cm (2–3 ft)
• Spread: 60–90 cm (2–3 ft)
• Flowers: Small, greenish to tan, catkin-like spikes held at the stem tips; more interesting than showy
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
• Foliage: Bright green, pointed leaves arranged in whorls around stiff, upright stems, turning yellow after frost
• Features: Tolerates wet soil and standing water

Where to Plant: Palm sedge is made for damp places: pond and stream edges, rain gardens, low spots and the drip line of a downspout, and it even grows in shallow water. Planted about 30 cm (12 in) apart it knits into a groundcover, while a single plant makes a texture accent. It handles wet clay well, so it suits heavy soils that stay soggy in spring.

Companion Plants: Use palm sedge in a moist, sunny or part-shade native bed, even at a pond edge. Fragaria virginiana (9cm) carpets the ground at 10 to 23 cm with white flowers and small red berries. Aquilegia canadensis adds nodding red and yellow columbines at 30 to 75 cm in May and June. Gillenia trifoliata brings starry white flowers on red stems at 60 to 120 cm in June and July. Eupatorium maculatum rises behind at 120 to 180 cm with dusky pink Joe Pye heads from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant in moist to wet soil rich in organic matter. Clay, loam and sand all work if water is steady. A spot with some afternoon shade is easiest; in full sun, never let it dry out. Potted plants in particular should not dry out before planting. Cut the old foliage to the ground in late winter or early spring so the fresh growth shows. That's about it for maintenance. It spreads slowly by rhizomes and may self-seed a little in ideal wet conditions. Divide in spring if a clump gets crowded or you want more.

History: The species name is a Latinized nod to the Muskingum River in southeastern Ohio, where it was first collected. In the wild it grows in wooded lowlands, river bottoms and floodplain forests of the central and upper Midwest and into eastern Canada.

Final Thoughts: Plant a patch by the downspout and pour yourself something with an umbrella in it. STAYCATION SEASON IS OPEN.