A group of Plantain Leaf Sedge plants that are lime green are growing on the forest floor.
A plantain leaf flower with it's dark red scales pokes out of decaying leaves.
The characteristic wide, seer-sucker leaves of plantain leaf sedge are visible along with some flowers covered in yellow pollen.
A single plant has one flower stalk and the male flowers are blooming. The anthers contain a lot of yellow pollen.
A hand displays the approximately two inch width of a plantain leaf sedge.
A group of Plantain Leaf Sedge plants that are lime green are growing on the forest floor.
A plantain leaf flower with it's dark red scales pokes out of decaying leaves.
The characteristic wide, seer-sucker leaves of plantain leaf sedge are visible along with some flowers covered in yellow pollen.
A single plant has one flower stalk and the male flowers are blooming. The anthers contain a lot of yellow pollen.
A hand displays the approximately two inch width of a plantain leaf sedge.

Plantain Leaf Sedge (Carex plantaginea)

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Plantain Leaf Sedge is a wide-leaved sedge that can fill in for a native species when you remove your non-native Hostas!

The leaves are usually 1-2 inches wide with a puckered look. The bases of the leaves are red. Another sedge sometimes confused with Plantain Leaf Sedge because of its wide leaves is White Bear Sedge (Carex albicans), but that sedge has white bases to the leaves.

Older Plantain Leaf Sedge plants in the right conditions continue to fill out and can become quite large.

This sedge is an early spring bloomer, sending up flower stalks from the tired leaves of the last season. After they have begun to flower, they will produce more leaves, but even the last year’s leaves stay fnice enough to consider it evergreen.

Male flowers appear dark reddish-brown due to the scales that are present. The female flowers are fewer and are located under the male flowerhead. Male flowers usually mature first on a given plant to prevent self pollination. They are mostly wind pollinated. Flower stalks can have a red and green pattern making them look a little like a candy cane.

This sedge is a favorite here at Wild Ginger Woodlands and we highly recommend it!

Plantain Leaf Sedge (Carex plantiginea)

Michigan Flora reference page for state distribution: Plantain Leaf Sedge

height: leaves are 12-15 inches and bow over, flower stalks are 15-18 inches and stand straight

soil: medium, rich

sun: partial, shade

plant spacing: 15”

flower: yellow

life cycle: perennial

family: Cyperaceae

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Plantain Leaf Sedge is a wide-leaved sedge that can fill in for a native species when you remove your non-native Hostas!

The leaves are usually 1-2 inches wide with a puckered look. The bases of the leaves are red. Another sedge sometimes confused with Plantain Leaf Sedge because of its wide leaves is White Bear Sedge (Carex albicans), but that sedge has white bases to the leaves.

Older Plantain Leaf Sedge plants in the right conditions continue to fill out and can become quite large.

This sedge is an early spring bloomer, sending up flower stalks from the tired leaves of the last season. After they have begun to flower, they will produce more leaves, but even the last year’s leaves stay fnice enough to consider it evergreen.

Male flowers appear dark reddish-brown due to the scales that are present. The female flowers are fewer and are located under the male flowerhead. Male flowers usually mature first on a given plant to prevent self pollination. They are mostly wind pollinated. Flower stalks can have a red and green pattern making them look a little like a candy cane.

This sedge is a favorite here at Wild Ginger Woodlands and we highly recommend it!

Plantain Leaf Sedge (Carex plantiginea)

Michigan Flora reference page for state distribution: Plantain Leaf Sedge

height: leaves are 12-15 inches and bow over, flower stalks are 15-18 inches and stand straight

soil: medium, rich

sun: partial, shade

plant spacing: 15”

flower: yellow

life cycle: perennial

family: Cyperaceae

Plantain Leaf Sedge is a wide-leaved sedge that can fill in for a native species when you remove your non-native Hostas!

The leaves are usually 1-2 inches wide with a puckered look. The bases of the leaves are red. Another sedge sometimes confused with Plantain Leaf Sedge because of its wide leaves is White Bear Sedge (Carex albicans), but that sedge has white bases to the leaves.

Older Plantain Leaf Sedge plants in the right conditions continue to fill out and can become quite large.

This sedge is an early spring bloomer, sending up flower stalks from the tired leaves of the last season. After they have begun to flower, they will produce more leaves, but even the last year’s leaves stay fnice enough to consider it evergreen.

Male flowers appear dark reddish-brown due to the scales that are present. The female flowers are fewer and are located under the male flowerhead. Male flowers usually mature first on a given plant to prevent self pollination. They are mostly wind pollinated. Flower stalks can have a red and green pattern making them look a little like a candy cane.

This sedge is a favorite here at Wild Ginger Woodlands and we highly recommend it!

Plantain Leaf Sedge (Carex plantiginea)

Michigan Flora reference page for state distribution: Plantain Leaf Sedge

height: leaves are 12-15 inches and bow over, flower stalks are 15-18 inches and stand straight

soil: medium, rich

sun: partial, shade

plant spacing: 15”

flower: yellow

life cycle: perennial

family: Cyperaceae