Berkeley sedge

Carex tumulicola

Description

The Berkeley sedge is a hardy perennial grass-like plant with a clumping growth habit comprised of fine textured green leaves. In a few years time it develops into a graceful mounding plant to 1-1.5 ft. tall and 2-3 ft. wide. This soft textured species is a highly adaptable plant that has been used in understory areas, along pathways and on slopes for erosion control in residential and commercial landscapes.

Plant Type: Grass, Sedge
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Symmetrical, Mounding, Graceful, Clumping
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Green
Flower Season: Winter, Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Loam, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Morning sun, Moderate shade, Heat, Cold hardy, All day sun
Function: Rock gardens, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Parks and open space, Near pools and water features, Mass planting, Grouped, Foundations, Foliage accent plant, Small spaces, Container plant, Commercial spaces, Civic spaces, Borders, Banks, Slopes
Height: 1 ft. – 1.5 ft.
Width: 1.5 ft. – 3 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 2

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 2 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another two weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
To save water, in many cases you can go longer in between waterings during the winter, often up to 3-4 weeks between watering for well-established plants. Two weeks after watering, check the soil approximately 4” below the surface. If it is still significantly moist, you can wait longer before watering again.
In most cases, if you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, you may use these features to save some water in in the fall and winter. If you are using automatic weather adjusting functions, continue to allow the timer to run every two weeks. It will adjust the number of minutes it runs to account for the cooler weather.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Keep maintenance low by giving plants proper space to grow. Individual plants often grow wider in our area than stated in books or online. Recommended space between carex divulsa plants should be 2′ minimum to around 3′ unless you want a tangled and very wild look. Looks best with a hard cut back once per year after flowers dry. If you are cutting back a large planting do not use hand pruners. It will take far too long. Use hedge shears (manual or powered) or carefully use a curved serrated blade (designed for gardening) (S). References