SAN DIEGO SEDGE

Carex spissa

A grass-like plant in the sedge family, native to southern and central California and northern Mexico. It thrives in wetlands, grasslands, and areas with serpentine soil. The plant can grow up to three to four feet tall and two to three feet wide. The San Diego Sedge has an extraordinary ability to withstand flooding and drought. It has clusters of tiny reddish-brown flowers that can produce fruit in large quantities. Its long slender leaves are green or brown and take on a rich turquoise color when grown in shaded areas but turn silver-grey under brighter conditions. A variety of insects consume the plant, and its dense growth pattern provides shelter and protection for small birds, ducks, etc.

1. ‘San Diego Sedge;Carex spissa’, California native plant society. https://calscape.org/loc-California/San%20Diego%20Sedge%20(Carex%20spissa)?newsearch=1
2. ‘Carex spissa - San Diego Sedge’, san marcos growers. https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?strSearchText=carex&plant_id=350
3. ‘San Diego Sedge’, UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials™, university of california agriculture and natural resources. https://ucanr.edu/sites/UCLPIT/PLANTINDEX/San_Diego_Sedge/