When it arrives
Your plug tray
Plant 72-cell plugs directly in spring or fall, or pot up into 4-inch pots to grow on. Keep moist and out of hot sun until new growth shows.
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Real dishes from our Field Notes recipes, shared by the people who made them.
Ice Dance grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 16.0 in
- Mature spread
- 24.0 in
- Bloom
- Late-April – peak Early-May
- Fragrance
- None
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender companion · grow guide
How to grow Ice Dance
Sedge · Carex morrowii
Sedges are grassy clumps for part shade and moist soil. Japanese types (C. oshimensis, C. morrowii) are evergreen, the native woodland type (C. laxiculmis) handles dry shade, and Bowles' Golden (C. elata) loves wet soil.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Part shadeLight
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Steady waterMoist drainage
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pH 5.5–7.0Soil
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Zones 5a–9bHardiness
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16″ tall24″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits some resistance
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Not known toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Ice Dance will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 5a–9b
Spring or early fall.
Your year with Ice Dance
JFMAMJJASOND
When to plant
Spring or early fall.
How deep
Plant at the same depth as in the plug, with the base of the leaves at soil level.
Spacing
12–18 inches apart for most; up to 24 inches for Bowles' Golden.
Soil
Humus-rich loam · pH 5.5–7.0
Fix-it tip: Add compost to hold moisture. C. elata will grow in boggy soil or pond edges; others need moisture but not standing water.
Sun
Part shade (tolerates full shade; morning sun).
Gold-leaved types like Bowles' Golden color best with some sun if kept wet; hot afternoon sun scorches Japanese sedges.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
Japanese sedges stay evergreen and may look tattered after winter; new blades push up in spring. C. elata dies back and re-sprouts in mid-spring.
Spring
Tidy evergreen blades; cut back C. elata.
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Summer
Water in dry spells; keep out of hot afternoon sun.
Fall
Good time to plant or divide.
Winter
Japanese types stay mostly evergreen.
Watering
First season: Keep evenly moist through the first summer.
After that: Water in dry spells. C. elata wants constant moisture; native woodland sedge tolerates drier shade once rooted.
Feeding
Little needed; compost in spring.
Pruning & deadheading
Comb out or trim tattered evergreen blades in early spring. Cut deciduous C. elata to a few inches in late winter.
Dividing
Every 3–4 years in spring when clumps open up in the middle.
Winter
Hardiness varies: C. elata and C. laxiculmis zones 5–9; Japanese sedges mostly zones 5–9, often semi-evergreen in Michigan. Mulch young plants the first winter.
Summer heat
Japanese sedges dislike hot, dry sun; keep shaded and moist.
Brown tips on leaves
Likely cause: Dry soil or hot sun
What to do: Water deeply and give afternoon shade
Tattered, bleached leaves in spring
Likely cause: Winter wind and sun
What to do: Trim lightly; fresh growth fills in
Center of clump dies out
Likely cause: Age or crowding
What to do: Divide in spring and replant healthy edges
Too wet or too dry?
Brown leaf tips and dull color mean too dry; brown, collapsing centers in Japanese sedges can mean soggy winter soil.
Watch for
- Generally trouble-free
- Leaf scorch in hot sun
- Crown rot in poorly drained winter soil (Japanese types)
Pets & wildlife
Not on the ASPCA toxic plant list.
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: somewhat resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 1 gallon+
Japanese sedges are great in pots and shade containers; keep moist.
Indoors
Outdoor plant
Best kept outdoors as hardy perennials.
Winter chill
No chill needed
Grown for foliage; flowers are small and incidental. No chill needed.
Growing it on
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 1 gallon pot
Time to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Give it its own spot
Sedges belong in a shady or moist part of the garden. They need much more water and shade than lavender, so don't mix them in the same bed.
Same bedNearbyIts own area
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