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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

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Friday - July 20, 2007

From: New York, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources
Title: Alternatives to non-native and invasive Carex crus-corvi in New York
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

Hello. I can't seem to find carex crus-corvi (ravenfoot sedge) on any online seed/plant website. I was interested in buying seeds or plants. My last name is Corvi, and I would love to grow it. Can you help me?

ANSWER:

A websearch using the search terms "Carex crus-corvi" and "seed" yielded some commercial seed sources for this species. However, we should stress that since this species is not native to your area (New York), it might not be a good idea to import it there. Ravenfoot sedge is a sun-loving wetland plant. Wetland plants often have a propensity to become problem plants outside their native range. We would hate to hear of Ravenfoot sedge becoming a wetland weed in New York. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center urges everyone to look for locally native species to use in their landscapes, but to be sure that when they do use imported species, they are not ones known to be or are likely to be invasive species.
 

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