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ornamental grass

Pennsylvania sedge

Carex pensylvanica

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.

Carex pensylvanica is a semi-evergreen ornamental grass for gardens in zones 3–8. Expect 6–9 in of height and 0.75–1 ft of spread; our lists space it 0.75 ft apart. It does best in part sun to shade with little water once established. It is grown for its foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the grass role: a grass or grass-like plant that adds movement and fine texture in the middle. It is native to the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, the Great Plains and the Southeast. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and 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 pensylvanica
Plant type
Ornamental grass, semi evergreen
Hardiness zones
3 to 8
Sun
Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
Water
Low
Soil
Dry to medium soil; thrives in dry shade under trees.
Mature size
6–9 in tall × 0.75–1 ft wide
Spacing
0.75 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Medium
Bloom
Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed
Grass, Edge
Styles
natural, low water, modern
Deer resistance
High: deer rarely eat it
Pets
Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats
Native to
Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Great Plains and Southeast
Pot size and price
quart pot, typically $7–$12 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water deeply once or twice a week for the first 6-8 weeks, then every 10-14 days in dry spells through the first summer; after that only in long droughts.
Pruning
No pruning needed; can be mown high once in spring for a tidier look.

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); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Pennsylvania sedge, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Pennsylvania sedge: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

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