What hardiness zones is Carex comosa suitable for?

Carex comosa is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

What are the sun requirements for Carex comosa?

Carex comosa requires Full Sun.

How much water does Carex comosa need?

Carex comosa has High water needs.

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Grasses

Carex comosa

Longhair Sedge

Cyperaceae

North America — from Nova Scotia south to Florida and west to California, in swamps, marshes, and pond margins

At a Glance

TypeSedge

HabitClumping

FoliageDeciduous

Height24-36 inches (60-90 cm)

Width18-24 inches (45-60 cm)

Maturity2 years

Growing Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones

3 - 9

Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9

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

What's my zone? →

Frost Tolerancehardy

Key Features

Deer Resistant

Native to North America

Maintenancevery low

Overview

Carex comosa is longhair sedge — a native wet-soil sedge with the most dramatically bristly and shaggy seed heads, growing 24–36 inches (60–90 cm) tall and 18–24 inches (45–60 cm) wide. The species name 'comosa' means 'furnished with a tuft of hair', describing the long prominent awns that extend from each perigynia, creating a shaggy, longhair appearance. Long drooping bristly spikelets in early summer — the awns are long enough to create a distinctly hairy, wild, unkempt quality that no other common sedge matches. Medium green wide arching foliage. Wet to waterlogged soil — swamps, marshes, pond margins. Tolerates standing water. The bristly texture is similar to C. frankii (mini-cattail) and C. squarrosa (sea-urchin) but with longer, more hair-like awns. Hardy to zone 3. The most widespread native wet sedge — found across most of North America.

Native Range

Carex comosa is native to North America — from Nova Scotia south to Florida and west to California.

Suggested Uses

Used in rain gardens, wet meadows, pond margins, and bioswales. The shaggiest native wet sedge. The longhair wild aesthetic suits naturalized wet plantings. Bioswale and stormwater management.

How to Identify

Identified by long drooping bristly spikelets with prominent long awns — the shaggiest, most 'longhair' look of any sedge. The long awn length and the drooping, hairy appearance are diagnostic. Similar to C. frankii but with longer, more hair-like awns. Wet-soil habitat.