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Enter the approximate length and width of the area you will be planting and click 'Calculate' to determine how many Carex vulpinoidea you will need.

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Correct and successful spacing is complex and depends on project conditions. We encourage you to call us at 877-ECO-PLUG for project specific recommendations and further assistance.

Carex vulpinoidea

fox sedge

  • Category: Grass, Carex
  • Hardiness Zone: 3-7
  • Height: 1-3 Feet
  • Spread: 6-24 Inches
  • Spacing: 12 Inches
  • Bloom Color: Green
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One of the most widespread species of Carex in North America, growing in wet meadows, prairies, swamps and marshes.  The seedheads mature in late summer and resemble fox tails, hence the common name.

Click here to download technical information for growers:
Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil Moisture Needs
Moist
Wet
Green Infrastructure
Bioretention/Rain Garden
Erosion Control
Meadow/Prairie
Woodland
Wetland Indicator Status
Obligate Wetland (OBL)
Plug Type
Landscape Plug™
For Animals
Deer Resistant
Songbird-friendly
Season of Interest (Flowering)
Late Spring / Early Summer
Propagation Type
Open pollinated
Grass Type
Cool Season
Additional Information about Carex vulpinoidea

One of the most widespread species of Carex in North America, Carex vulpinoidea grows in wet meadows, prairies, swamps and marshes. The seedheads mature in late summer and resemble fox tails, hence the common name of fox sedge. A great colonizer for wetland restoration projects or for erosion control along banks of ponds, streams, or springs, Carex vulpinodea naturalizes quickly where it is planted. It grows 1’-3’ tall with narrow grass-like leaves in deep green and forms clumps.

Fox sedge grows in moist to wet soils in full to part sun. Commonly found near other plant genera like Juncus, Eupatorium, Iris, Scirpus, Vernonia, and Asclepias incarnataCarex vulpinoidea is a dominant sedge in sedge meadows.

Compared to Carex stricta or Carex emoryi, fox sedge forms clumps and doesn’t run by rhizome. It can be quite weedy and aggressive, like Carex stricta and Carex emoryi, but we find that to be one of its attributesallowing for a native plant to effectively colonize an area and outcompete non-native weed pressure. Fox sedge is a great plant for creating habitat along a water’s edge, forage for water fowl like Mallard ducks, and providing food for birds and insects.

BONAP Map

Growing & Maintenance Tips for Carex vulpinoidea

Grows in moist to wet soils in full to part sun. Propagate by division of clumps every few years. Cut foliage to the ground in early spring before new growth occurs. Use as a border to ponds and along streambanks as a groundcover.