Carex panicea

Carex panicea is an herbaceous perennial plant forming a small vigorous clump with an upright habit, with evergreen, slender leaves of a lovely glaucous colour. It gradually spreads through trailing rhizomes to reach 25cm (10in) in all directions. Its brownish-purple fruiting in summer is also an ornamental asset. It likes moist to wet, even marshy soils, in sun or partial shade. Hardy everywhere, it is particularly suited to cool, free-style and natural gardens. It is also suitable for planting beside water bodies. 

It is native to wet meadows, wooded edges, and marshes in Central Europe. It tolerates freezing temperatures very well and adapts to any type of moist to wet soil. This evergreen sedge retains its beautiful bluish foliage in winter. It can tolerate full sun exposure if planted in soil that remains moist.

Carex panicea is a border plant or ground cover in a natural garden, forming a bluish carpet in the coolest corners of the garden. It will be perfectly at home near a small pond or stream, as long as the soil does not remain waterlogged. Where it thrives, this sedge will form a unique and highly decorative ground cover. It can be planted with other ground cover plants that appreciate the same environments, such as molinias, other sedges, loosestrifes, marsh mallows, and yellow loosestrifes.

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