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Carex solandri (New Zealand Bush Sedge) - A clump forming medium fine textured mid-green evergreen sedge to 1 foot tall with foliage that arches over. Green flowers in late spring arch to about the same height as the foliage.
Plant in coastal sun or shade. Hardy to around 15° F. Shear as flowers emerge to prevent seed from developing if reseeding is not desired. Very much like Carex divulsa but smaller and having flowers that are held erect above the foliage. Excellent as a groundcover, even within paths. It will reseed within the irrigated garden, but not particularly a nuisance.
We grew this form of Carex solandri for over 1996 until 2007. In the early 2000s There was another plant being grown in the California nursery trade listed as Carex solandri that was quite different - growing erect to 3 to 4 feet tall leaf tips that curl over with yellow green colored foliage that has orange highlights. Whether this other plant is a cultivar or hybrid was never determined but it does not match the descriptions in The Cultivation of New Zealand Native Grasses by Lawrie Metcalf or The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses by Rick Darke. Both of these books describe C. solandri as a 1-2 foot plant with green to pale green arching foliage. Rick Darke actually notes that Carex solandri is a unique among the New Zealand sedge in that it has green foliage - many of the cultivated New Zealand sedges have orange or brown coloration. Confusion between these plants and the similarity to Carex divulsa caused us to discontinue production on this plant.
The information about Carex solandri that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
Please note that after 46 years in business, San Marcos Growers will be discontinuing nursery operations by the end of 2025 and the property will be developed for affordable housing.
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