'Blue Zinger' sedge is a grasslike perennial with blue-green foliage that provides color and fine texture. It is an adaptable plant that can be used as a ground cover. This sedge thrives during the cooler months of the year, making it a good companion for evergreen shrubs, cool-season annuals and early-spring bulbs. In 2023, this sedge was recognized by the GreatPlants program, a collaboration in which the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and Nebraskan landscape professionals single out beautiful, low-maintenance plants for the harsh conditions of the Great Plains.
Common name: 'Blue Zinger' sedge
Botanical name: Carex flacca 'Blue Zinger'
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Flowers: This plant is grown for its foliage, but it puts up spikes of tiny, cream-colored flowers in early summer.
Foliage: The long, narrow foliage is bluish green in color and remains present year-round. Its winter foliage is at its best in warmer regions.
Habit: 'Blue Zinger' sedge forms a mounding, grasslike clump 10 to 12 inches tall and wide.
Origin: The species Carex flacca is native to northern Africa and southern Europe. It grows naturally in dry grasslands and wet marshes in its native lands. It was formerly known as Carex glauca.
How to grow it: Plant 'Blue Zinger' sedge in sun or part shade and any soil type. Water it regularly during its first year in the garden, bu once it's established, it will resist moderate drought. This sedge also tolerates heavy rain events that swamp the soil, making it a choice for rain gardens, poorly drained spots and the edges of water gardens. Cut back old growth in late winter to neaten the plant and make way for bright new growth. USDA Zones 5–9.
Image credit: David Stang/CC BY SA-4.0
