Gray's Sedge

Carex grayi

Gray's Sedge produces one of the most dramatic seedheads in the native plant world: a spiky, star-burst-shaped mace head. like something from a medieval armory rendered in botanical form. that appears in summer and persists well into fall. Each individual fruit is inflated and pointed, and the whole cluster radiates from a central point into a perfect sphere of spines. Cut stems make unusual dried arrangements. In the garden it thrives in shaded, moist conditions. along rain garden edges, in damp woodland corners, and beneath deciduous canopy where moisture accumulates. The broad, fresh-green foliage is attractive all season, and the combination of clean foliage and extraordinary seedheads makes Gray's Sedge a genuine specimen plant for the right site. Waterfowl and songbirds work the seeds through fall. Plant it where the seedhead display can be enjoyed up close. along a shaded path, beside a small water feature, or at eye level on a slope. It rewards proximity.