Why choose native plants? Pacific Northwest native plants know how to live here and how to thrive here. They often need much less water and less fertilizer. They spread slowly and are not invasive. They support a wide diversity of wildlife. And best of all, they look great!
Foothill Sedge is commonly found from the central Willamette Valley south into California. A tightly clumping sedge with medium green foliage and 8″ wiry stems with attending flowers that are tan in spring/summer. In our region this plant can be found in upland situations where it is moist for at least half the year. It’s also diminutive and almost hard to find in the wild. Under cultivation it’s an entirely different beast. Clumps are dense but expand with a pronounced weeping habit. Grows to 8″ tall x 18″ wide for each individual plant. Good massed or as a lawn substitute. Takes mowing if limited to once a year. Regular irrigation keeps it green and happy. Each blade is about 18 inches long by 1/8 inches wide, medium green and covered with fine hairs. Flowering spikes bear up to 10 loosely spaced, cream-colored florets. Foothill sedge inhabits marshes, meadows and gravelly slopes in forests and coastal scrub lands at elevations up to 4,000 feet. Its native range expands from the Oregon and California coasts to the inland valleys. Isolated communities can be found in the Sierras, Idaho, Washington and British Columbia. Grows in sun or shade and prefers moist soils but can tolerate short periods of drought. A very durable and versatile plant. Takes clay soils well. Water regularly to establish the first summer then taper off (continue watering if you want it to stay staunchly green). Combines well with perennials including native perennials such as Checkermallow (Sidalcea) and Ranunculus occidentalis (Western Buttercup), as well as Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon). Full sun to light shade, or high overhead shade. Foothill sedge can be used for erosion control, in masses as a ground cover, or to fill shady spots in a woodland garden. It looks best cascading over a rock wall. This species has great ecological value, supporting a variety of insects, waterfowl, finches, and mammals with its often water-dispersed seeds. Its durable foliage is used as a construction material in animal nesting and has also been employed by Native Americans in the making of clothing items. Zones 8-10. Photo courtesy of Xera Plants.
