Carex grayi aka Carex De Gray

Carex grayi is a perennial in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. Gardeners call it gray sedge, mace sedge, or morning star sedge. Its name honours the American botanist Asa Gray. It comes from eastern Canada and the north-central and eastern United States. In the wild, it favours swamps, floodplains, and damp bottomland woods.

This grass-like plant forms upright clumps with a mounded shape. Garden plants grow 2–3 feet [0.61–0.91 m] tall. They spread about 1.4–2 feet [0.43–0.61 m] wide. RHS gives a broader upper size of 3.3 feet [1 m] in both directions. Growth is moderate, and clumps take two to five years to mature. The green leaves are long, narrow, hairless, and papery. They can reach 2 feet [0.6 m] long and 0.04 feet [0.013 m] wide. Sources differ on leaf retention, describing evergreen, partly evergreen, or deciduous foliage.

Small green flowers grow in spikes above the leaves. North Carolina State and Chicago place flowering in May and June. RHS reports summer flowers, while Missouri Botanical Garden lists May through October. The seed heads have pointed projections that give them a mace-like shape. They change from pale green or yellow-green to brown. Their main display runs from June through September. Dry fruit heads can stay through winter and add shape to the garden. Both fresh and dried stems suit flower arrangements.

Grow gray sedge in full sun or light shade. It needs soil that holds moisture and does poorly when dry. Fertile clay or loam suits it, including sites that flood at times. RHS lists acid, neutral, and alkaline soils as suitable. It can grow at pond edges or in bog gardens. Sources give USDA zones 5–9 and RHS hardiness H6. Hot climates may limit its height. Sow seed in autumn, or divide clumps in spring to early summer. It may seed itself where conditions suit it.

Use groups beside ponds, in rain gardens, or along borders. It also works as ground cover or in containers. Deer resistance and erosion tolerance add landscape value. Some butterfly larvae feed on it. Birds and small mammals eat its achenes and shelter among the clumps. Care needs are low, with few reported pest or disease troubles. RHS notes that aphids and rust can occur. Cut fading foliage back in autumn. The supplied sources do not establish human edibility or toxicity.