Orange sedge

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; foliage usually develops its strongest orange colour in sun. Give some afternoon shade in hot, dry climates.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate some drought but look better with occasional deep watering.

Soil

Well-drained soil with moderate moisture; tolerates sandy, loamy and clay soils provided water does not collect around the crown.

Height

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Spread

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Flowers

Small, inconspicuous brown flower spikes in summer.

Foliage

Evergreen. Narrow, arching, olive-green leaves flushed orange and copper, often becoming more orange in cool weather and strong light.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.4 ft (0.42 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.6 ft (0.49 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.7 ft (0.53 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during the first growing season whenever the soil begins to dry.
• Avoid planting in hollows or heavy soil that stays saturated through winter.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; routine heavy feeding is unnecessary.
• Keep mulch clear of the crown to reduce rot.
• Divide tired or overcrowded clumps in spring, keeping several growing shoots on each division.

Pruning. In early spring, gently comb or snip out dead leaves and remove old flower stems. Avoid routinely cutting the whole clump to ground level, as evergreen sedges can recover slowly.

Spring

Remove dead foliage before new growth becomes tangled with it.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, then water thoroughly until established.

Early summer

Check soil moisture during dry weather, especially in containers.

Late summer

Remove flower stems before seed ripens if unwanted seedlings appear.

Autumn

Leave healthy foliage standing for winter colour and check that drainage remains clear.

Winter

Move containers to a sheltered position in cold areas and avoid waterlogged compost.

• Repeat small groups along a sunny border to link planting with copper-orange foliage.
• Plant beside dark rocks or pale gravel for a contrast in colour and texture.
• Use in containers with heucheras or small evergreen shrubs, allowing the leaves to arch over the rim.
• Combine with upright perennials such as salvias and coneflowers to soften their stems.

Garden styles it suits: Modern, Dry gravel garden, New perennial (prairie), Coastal, Winter interest and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Heuchera, Lavender, Salvia, Purple coneflower, Stonecrop and Dwarf pittosporum.

Wildlife: Dense clumps provide shelter for small invertebrates. The wind-pollinated flowers offer little value to bees.

• Crown or root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised position; discard badly rotted clumps.
• Brown, dry leaf tips during drought: water deeply and protect container plants from prolonged drying.
• Winter damage in exposed, cold sites: choose a sheltered position and protect container roots from severe freezing.
• Unwanted seedlings: remove flower stems before seed ripens and pull seedlings while small.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people; no poisonous parts are recognised. The narrow leaves can have sharp edges, so wear gloves when handling large clumps.

• Leatherleaf sedge (Carex buchananii)

  Usually has more upright, reddish-brown foliage with noticeably curled tips, rather than the softer, arching orange-green leaves of orange sedge.

• Weeping brown sedge (Carex flagellifera)

  Typically has a more trailing habit and brown or bronze foliage rather than a strong orange flush; its flower stems can become conspicuously long.

The species name testacea means brick-coloured, referring to the warm orange-brown foliage.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring. It can also be grown from seed, but seedlings may vary in foliage colour; division preserves the parent plant's appearance.

Accepted botanical name

Carex testacea

Native range

New Zealand North and New Zealand South.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.