What hardiness zones is Carex brevior suitable for?

Carex brevior is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

What are the sun requirements for Carex brevior?

Carex brevior requires Full Sun.

How much water does Carex brevior need?

Carex brevior has Low water needs.

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Jim Pisarowicz, no rights reserved (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons

Grasses & Sedges

Carex brevior

Plains Oval Sedge

Cyperaceae

Central and eastern North America, from Maine south to Tennessee and west to Montana, in dry prairies and open woodlands

At a Glance

TypeSedge

HabitClumping

FoliageSemi-evergreen

Height12-24 inches (30-60 cm)

Width12-18 inches (30-45 cm)

Maturity2 years

Growing Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones

3 - 8

Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8

These zones indicate the coldest temperatures this plant can typically survive.

What's my zone? →

Frost Tolerancehardy

Key Features

Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

Maintenancevery low

Overview

Carex brevior is plains oval sedge, an adaptable native dry-soil sedge growing 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall and 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) wide. The species name 'brevior' means 'shorter', referring to the short beak on the perigynia compared to related species. Medium green narrow slightly arching leaves. Tolerates any soil type (sand, loam, or clay), full sun to partial shade, and drought, a versatile native sedge for general garden use. The species lacks the showier features of some sedges (no blue foliage, no silver cascading, no colorful fall display) but compensates with reliability, adaptability, and reliable performance in difficult dry-sun conditions. Clumping habit. Golden-yellow fall color. Hardy to zone 3. A workhorse native sedge for tough sites.

Native Range

Carex brevior is native to central and eastern North America, from Maine south to Tennessee and west to Montana.

Suggested Uses

Used in prairie gardens, dry-soil meadows, native lawn alternatives, and as a reliable sedge for tough conditions. An adaptable dry-soil native sedge. Mass planting for a low-maintenance native ground cover.

How to Identify

Identified by a medium-sized clump of medium green narrow slightly arching foliage in dry sunny conditions with compact spikelets bearing oval perigynia. The short-beaked oval perigynia give the species name. Not showily ornamental; the value is adaptability and reliability.