ornamental grass
Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'
Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 5–9, Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance' is an evergreen ornamental grass. Expect 0.75–1 ft of height and 1.5–2 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.25 ft apart. It does best in part sun to shade with average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
- Plant type
- Ornamental grass, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 5 to 9
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained soil.
- Mature size
- 0.75–1 ft tall × 1.5–2 ft wide
- Spacing
- 1.25 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Edge, Grass
- Styles
- classic, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $10–$18 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Comb out or trim tired leaves in early spring; do not cut into the crown.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list (true grasses and sedges are not listed as toxic); Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a part-shade bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 5
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 6
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 7 (as a substitute)
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 8
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 5
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 7
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Lenten roseHelleborus × hybridusperennial · zones 4–9
- Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'perennial · zones 3–8
- Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'perennial · zones 4–9
- Autumn fernDryopteris erythrosorafern · zones 5–9
- Chinese astilbe 'Visions'Astilbe chinensis 'Visions'perennial · zones 4–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance': same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Japanese sedge 'Evergold'Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Mondo grassOphiopogon japonicuszones 7–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Bugleweed 'Bronze Beauty'Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty'zones 3–9 · flagged toxic to pets
- Japanese pachysandraPachysandra terminaliszones 4–8 · flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants