Carex vulpinoidea aka Brown Fox Sedge

Carex vulpinoidea is a sedge in the Cyperaceae family. It is perennial, so it lives for more than one year. Its common names are fox sedge and American fox sedge. Its native range runs from southern Canada through Mexico. It also includes Hispaniola. It grows across much of temperate North America. Wild plants grow in open sites with moist soil. They grow in marshes, wet prairies, swamps, and roadside ditches. They also grow at stream edges. People have brought it to parts of Europe and New Zealand. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This sedge forms upright clumps with narrow leaves like grass. In gardens, it grows about 3 feet (0.91 metres) tall. Clumps span about 2 feet (0.61 metres). The listed garden spread reaches 3 feet (0.91 metres). Its green flowers do not make much of a show. Missouri Botanical Garden lists bloom from May to July. Chicago Botanic Garden lists a longer season, May to August. Seedheads fan out from the centre of each clump. They look like a fox's tail, which gives the plant its name. This seed show is brief. Frost soon turns the leaves yellow.

Grow fox sedge in full sun or part shade. In gardens, it needs damp to very wet soil. It can grow in clay or soil that drains poorly. A moist wood with part shade can suit it, too. Both garden sources list USDA hardiness zones 3–7. Missouri Botanical Garden says it needs little care. Sow seed in autumn, or use moist stratification before spring sowing. Choose its garden site with its need for wet soil in mind.

Fox sedge suits pond edges and the edges of water gardens. It also suits moist ground near streams and springs. Listed uses include rain gardens, bioswales, and bioretention basins. Chicago Botanic Garden lists use in borders and as groundcover, too. Its upright clumps give shape to sites with wet soil. It can also grow in areas left to naturalize. Both garden sources say it resists deer.

Fast spread is the main problem the sources note. Missouri Botanical Garden warns that fox sedge can become weedy. Weigh this trait against its worth in wet sites. The sources give no pest or disease details for this species. They give no evidence on which parts are edible. Nor do they give evidence on whether it is toxic.