Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Leaf Texture: Smooth
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Inflorescence: Spikelet
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 1 foot tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green , Brown
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Bloom Notes: Perianth absent. Bloom time refers to fruiting period for Carex spp.

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DC , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NE , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Native Distribution: Much of the eastern US, from New York south to Georgia and west to Oklahoma and Texas
Native Habitat: Sandy woodlands and savannas, particularly in Post Oak (Quercus stellata) woods.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist, well-drained sands mostly, but adaptable to many soils
Conditions Comments: Likes the moist, sandy soils of Post Oak (Quercus stellata) woodlands. The more moisture it gets, the taller it gets.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: A good shade groundcover for naturalizing and landscape restoration, particularly in sandy areas under Post Oaks (Quercus stellata).
Interesting Foliage: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division , Seeds
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Can be mowed on high settings if it gets too tall for your tastes.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Native grasses for East Texas that require no mowing or watering
June 16, 2010
What native grass can I grow in deep East Texas that would require no supplemental watering and no mowing?
view the full question and answer

Native grasses for shade in Dallas
November 30, 2008
What native grasses can be grown under large Live Oaks in the Dallas Area? The combination of shade and black gumbo soil seem to keep all plant life, except for poison ivy and ferns, out. I would lo...
view the full question and answer

Plants for a steep lot in Tennessee
August 07, 2008
I have built a home on a very steep lot (approx 1 1/2 acres)in Northern Central Tenn in Jackson County. The lot is too steep to mow and some of it is too steep to stand on comfortably. My question is...
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Ground cover for trails in Northeast Texas
January 09, 2008
I have several acres of wooded land in Northeast Texas, Southern Lamar County. Both sandy and black land. I have created trails through the woods and would like to plant a native ground cover or gras...
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Sedges and ornamentals for shade in Bastrop County
June 20, 2007
I bought a home in Elgin, TX that was owned by an elderly woman. Most of the lawn is shaded by elm or pecan trees. In the sunny areas, i got native wildflowers to grow like lantana and coneflower,...
view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Carex texensis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Carex texensis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Carex texensis