What hardiness zones is Carex woodii suitable for?

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

What are the sun requirements for Carex woodii?

Carex woodii requires Part Shade.

How much water does Carex woodii need?

Carex woodii has Low water needs.

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Grasses

Carex woodii

Wood's Sedge

Cyperaceae

Eastern North America — from New York south to Virginia and west to Minnesota, in dry upland forests

At a Glance

TypeSedge

HabitSpreading

FoliageSemi-evergreen

Height6-12 inches (15-30 cm)

Width12-24 inches (30-60 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

Native to North America

Maintenancevery low

Overview

Carex woodii is Wood's sedge — a native spreading sedge for dry shade, growing 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) tall and expanding by short rhizomes to form a gradually expanding ground cover colony. Named after Alphonso Wood, the American botanist. The key separation from the similar C. albicans: Wood's sedge spreads by rhizomes to form a continuous carpet, while C. albicans is a clumper that stays in place. This spreading habit suits C. woodii for covering large dry-shade areas where a continuous ground cover is desired. Narrow-textured medium green foliage. Like C. albicans, this is a dry-shade specialist — thriving in the dry, well-drained soils of upland oak-hickory forests. Semi-evergreen. Hardy to zone 3. The combination of dry-shade tolerance and spreading habit makes this a valuable native ground cover. Deer avoid sedge foliage.

Native Range

Carex woodii is native to eastern North America — from New York south to Virginia and west to Minnesota, in dry upland forests.

Suggested Uses

Used as a spreading native ground cover for large dry-shade areas under deciduous trees. The spreading dry-shade sedge — fills large areas that C. albicans (clumping) cannot cover as quickly. Woodland restoration. No-mow shade lawn.

How to Identify

Identified by a low (6–12 inches / 15–30 cm) spreading carpet of narrow-textured medium green sedge foliage in dry shade. The spreading rhizomatous habit (forming a continuous carpet) separates this from the clumping C. albicans. Both are dry-shade sedges, but C. woodii covers ground while C. albicans stays put.