Reference specimenAccession  SKU-00759

Carex conica marginata

Bird's-Foot Sedge

At a glance
Type
Perennial
Hardiness
USDA Zones 5–9
Sun
Part Shade
Soil
Well-drained, Moist
Mature size
Height 6–8 Inches · Spread 5–10 Inches
Growth rate
Fast
Seasonality
Evergreen
Carex conica 'Marginata', miniature sedge with silver-edged dark green blades
Carex conica marginata, Bird's-Foot Sedge at Woodlanders
A plant Woodlanders once offered on our catalogue

This variety is no actively in production in our propagation house and may not return to our catalogue. We maintain this page purely for reference and archival purposes. If you would like to grow this plant, tell us. Your interest helps guide what we bring back.

For a larger installation or commercial project, write hello@woodlanders.net.

Carex conica 'Marginata' is a miniature evergreen sedge, a tidy, tufted, grass-like clump of narrow dark green blades, each finely edged in silver-white. At close range the effect is crisp and jewel-like, a low cushion of fine texture that holds color and form the year round in mild winters.

Small in every dimension, the plant is made for the front of the picture: a rock garden, the gap between paving stones, the edge of a shaded path, a trough, or a container where the silver-margined foliage can be read up close. Native to Japan and Korea, this little sedge asks only for part shade and a moist, well-drained soil, and pairs beautifully with mosses, dwarf ferns, and other small shade companions.

Design Notes

Use 'Marginata' at the front of the picture, where the silver-edged blades can be read up close: a rock garden, a trough, the seam between paving stones, or the edge of a shaded path. The low, tidy evergreen tuft holds its form the year round and threads neatly among mosses, dwarf ferns, and small shade perennials. Give part shade and a moist, well-drained soil, and divide every few years to keep the clumps fresh.

Flower, Fruit & Foliage

purplish spike, summer

Foliage. Narrow, dark green, grass-like blades finely edged in silver-white, forming a low, tidy, evergreen tuft six to eight inches high, crisp and jewel-like at close range.

Flower. Slim purplish spikes rise above the foliage in summer, a quiet detail on a plant grown for the leaf rather than the bloom.

Care

Light. Part shade to dappled sun; protect from hot afternoon sun, which scorches the fine blades.

Soil. Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil; avoid both drought and standing water.

Water. Keep evenly moist, especially in sun or dry spells.

Grooming. Comb out or trim tired foliage in early spring; divide every few years to renew the clump.

Hardiness. Evergreen and reliable through USDA Zones 5 to 9 in mild winters.