Carex flacca Blue Zinger

Carex flacca 'Blue Zinger' is one of the most common varieties of sedge, sought after for its thin, flexible, evergreen foliage in a refreshing blue colour and its ability to spread gracefully in lawns, in shade as well as in the sun. It forms a small rounded clump with a tendency to sucker, which serves mainly as a ground cover in borders or under trees and bushes, where other plants will not grow. It can also be used to effectively carpet embankments and prevent soil erosion. Like most sedges, it prefers moist to wet soil but it tolerates heat and drought very well, which intensifies its colour. It is a fast-growing and easy to cultivate perennial. A versatile plant that resists salty and calcareous environments as well.

Glaucescent sedges, also known as Carex glauca or Carex flacca, are native to woodlands and moist areas in Europe and North Africa, around the Mediterranean basin. They are also common in dunes and sandy meadows. Belonging to the Cyperaceae family, they are not true grasses but have a similar form and foliage. The species-type Carex flacca has leaves in fine filaments, which are green above and bluish below. The leaves are arched, forming a dense and loose clump. Brownish flowers appear in April and May. At maturity, the sedge can reach 40 to 50cm (16 to 20in) in height. It is an excellent ground cover, which sometimes needs to be limited as this Carex flacca can be invasive. 'Blue Zinger' stands out with its bluish foliage and airy purplish-brown flower spikes from June to July, contrasting beautifully with the colour of its clump.

Sedges are an essential asset in natural-style gardens, easily forming meadows even in woodlands with other sedges or grasses, or effectively covering the ground between other plantings. This perennial can be planted in a sheltered corner, above a rockery so that the foliage can cascade as it pleases. It will also thrive in a container. Sedges offer many possibilities for colour combinations: with snowdrops in winter, with sedums in autumn, with knotweeds in summer. The bluish foliage pairs well with the white blooms of Gauras, for example. It also provides a nice contrast in a bed of warm colours in shades of orange, purple, and gold. Consider pairing it with shade-tolerant perennials like heucheras, hostas, hellebores, and geraniums, with a foreground of lamiums and bugles.

The name 'Carex' comes from the Greek 'keirein', which means to cut, referring to their sharp leaves and stems.