Nodding Sedge - Carex gynandra

Carex gynandra, or Nodding Sedge, is a perennial sedge native to Michigan and the UP. It one of those wonderful plants that is far more common in the UP than downstate. It is a graceful clumping sedge with arched flower spikes and seed heads. Often found in swampy coniferous forests with cedar and hemlock, or in other wet areas such as ditches, shores, and floodplains. Nodding Sedge prefers part shade but will tolerate full shade to full sun, with wet to moist soil. It ranges in height from 18 inches to 5 feet, depending on conditions, but 3 feet is typical. Pairs well with White Turtlehead and Jewelweed. Use in moist rain gardens or to arch over pond edges. Sedges are commonly the host plants for various skipper butterfly species and important food sources for other insects and birds.