Native Plants

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Saturday - December 27, 2008

From: Elgin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources
Title: Sources for cedar and Texas sedge seeds in Central Texas
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Where can I buy cedar and Texas sedge seeds in the central Texas area? What will be the cost? I have found a few nurseries who sell 4 inch pots, but that is very costly for the size of area I want to plant.

ANSWER:

You are correct, seeds for Carex planostachys (cedar sedge) and for Carex texensis (Texas sedge) don't seem to be commercially available from any of our usual sources. Perhaps we can offer some alternatives. You could begin by purchasing a smaller number of plugs of either or both grasses and either harvesting seeds to expand your planting next year, or divide the plugs when they grow larger. Both of these are plants that can be used for turf, but both need some shade to do well. If you have a sunnier area where you want a low native grass, Native American Seed has a native sun turfgrass mix, which includes Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) and Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss), both warm season turf grasses for sun. The link will take you to the online seed catalog, click on "Grass Mixes" and then on "Native Sun Turfgrass." Prices are per pound and are on the page with the mix. The site also gives coverage rates. Follow the plant links to the webpage on each grass for more information or go down that page to the link with Google on the plant.

Carex planostachys

Carex texensis

Bouteloua gracilis