start a
native garden
All native plants

A LITTLE MORE LIFE

Plantain-leaved sedge

Carex plantaginea

Native sedge clumps shelter small wildlife and provide seeds for birds and small mammals.

Clump of broad, puckered, lanceolate leaves
Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0

MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME

A spot to thrive.

Needs rich, consistently moist soil; the pleated leaves stay low, with taller flowering stalks in spring.

Sunlight
Shade
Soil moisture
Average moisture
Mature size
6–36 in tall · about 1 ft wide
Season of interest
Spring–fall foliage
Hardiness
USDA zones 3–8
Garden role
Broad, textured woodland leaves
Form in bloomManuel · CC BY 2.0

ONE GOOD SWAP

Instead of lilyturf.

Liriope muscari

Try plantain-leaved sedge for broad, textured woodland leaves.

Compare plants

NATIVE TO YOUR PLACE

Find it in your state guide.

Reviewed native coverage. Choose your state to see more alternatives.

AlabamaConnecticutDelawareGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKentuckyMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeVermontVirginiaWest VirginiaWisconsin

Dig a little deeper.

Plant profile & growing information Find a native nursery
Photo credits & licenses

Plantain-leaved sedge: Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0
Lilyturf: Manuel · CC BY 2.0

Resized, converted to WebP, and cropped in the layout. Each photo retains its listed license. All photo credits