Carex pendula Fresh Look

Carex pendula 'Fresh Look', also known as pendulous sedge, is a tall grass that perfectly lives up to its name: its long glossy leaves, which hang gracefully and appear wet, create a particularly ornamental cascade of greenery. Its flowering in long, slender, pendulous brown spikes is also incredibly graceful in late spring. This variety remains decorative throughout winter and will thrive in a large pot on a contemporary patio, as well as in a pond border or a large flower bed. This pendulous sedge thrives in the sun or partial shade, in all moist to wet soils where it can self-seed abundantly.

Carex pendula 'Fresh Look' belongs to the Cyperaceae family. Its ancestor, called the pendulous spike sedge, is a robust perennial plant with a tufted base native to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In the wild, this species grows in damp woods and shaded ravines, along watercourses, and in marshy areas. It particularly prefers heavy clay soils, slightly acidic to slightly calcareous. This carex is perfectly hardy, down to -20°C (-4°F).

The 'Fresh Look' selection stands out with its particularly shiny, bright green foliage. The plant quickly forms a dense tuft with a slightly spreading habit, reaching a minimum height of 1.5m (5ft) in flower and a minimum width of 70cm (28in) at the base. The highly ornamental foliage persists throughout winter. It consists of long, wide, thick, leathery, and sharp-pointed leaves that hang down. The flowering occurs from June to July. From the leaf tuft emerge slender flowering stalks called culms, bearing thin, pendulous flower spikes resembling long catkins, adorned with flowers that turn from green to brown as they mature. In late summer, these spikes bear countless seeds that, if not pruned, readily self-seed in all moist areas of the garden.

Carex pendula 'Fresh Look' is ideal for decorating the banks along a stream. Its roots help to stabilise the soil of embankments, which is how we use it. It also makes a great addition to a patio or an exotic garden, alongside Begonia grandis or gunneras, for example. Miscanthus, ligularias, queen of the meadows, and tall daisies can accompany it in all moist areas of the garden.