This small, fine-textured, grass-like sedge is found in the woodlands of eastern and central North America. The narrow, arching leaves grow in a clump that gradually enlarges to form colonies that provide year-round interest. Rosy sedge is adaptable to a range of dry and wet soil types and is ideal for difficult dry, shady areas. A study by Mt. Cuba Center showed that rosy sedge may struggle in soils that are extremely dry.  
 
Rosy sedge requires little maintenance once established. It's normal for the leaves to flop in mid-summer before a fresh spurt of growth in fall. In domestic landscapes, the dead foliage should be cut back to 2 inches in late winter.
 
Use rosy sedge as an accent plant or as a low-growing substitute for non-native groundcovers such as liriope and mondograss. It’s also great for shaded banks and slopes or as a massed planting among spring wildflowers.  Rosy sedge is also called curly-styled wood sedge because the miniscule styles are distinctively coiled. 
 
Plant Characteristics:
Grows 1-2' tall and wide.
 
Prefers part to full shade.
 
Grows in dry to wet soils, including clay, loamy, and sandy. May fizzle in extremely dry soil.
 
Blooms with tiny greenish-yellow flowers April-May.
 
Wildlife Value:
The Carex genus is host for up to 36 species of Lepidoptera larvae. Sedges provide habitat and cover for a variety of species and are a food source for birds and mammals.
 
Resources:
IL Groundwork: https://illinoisgroundwork.org/plant-finder/rosy-sedge/
 
Mt. Cuba: https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/carex-for-the-mid-atlantic-region/carex-rosea/
 
NC Botanical Garden: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/show-taxon-detail.php?taxonid=1343
 
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