Growing Sedge in Your Garden: The Mysterious Carex ×subsalina
When it comes to native plants, some species are well-documented garden stars, while others remain botanical mysteries. Carex ×subsalina falls squarely into the latter category – a native Canadian sedge that’s more likely to intrigue plant enthusiasts than fill garden centers.
What Is Carex ×subsalina?
Carex ×subsalina is a perennial sedge native to Canada. Like other members of the sedge family, it’s a graminoid – that’s botanist-speak for grass-like plant. The × in its name indicates this is a hybrid species, which partially explains why information about it remains scarce in gardening circles.
This sedge is also known by the synonym Carex ×stansalina Lepage, though you’re unlikely to find it under either name at your local nursery. While sedge serves as its common name, it lacks the colorful colloquial names that many popular garden plants enjoy.
Where Does It Grow Naturally?
This native sedge calls Canada home, specifically thriving in Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut, and Newfoundland. Its northern distribution suggests it’s well-adapted to cooler climates and potentially harsh growing conditions.
Should You Grow Carex ×subsalina?
Here’s where things get tricky. While this sedge has the appealing qualities of being native and perennial, its hybrid nature and limited documentation make it a challenging choice for most gardeners. Key considerations include:
- Extremely limited availability in the nursery trade
- Unknown growing requirements and care needs
- Unclear garden performance and aesthetic qualities
- Uncertain wildlife and pollinator benefits
Growing Conditions and Care
Unfortunately, specific growing conditions for Carex ×subsalina remain largely undocumented. As a northern Canadian native, it likely prefers cooler climates, but beyond this educated guess, gardeners would be venturing into uncharted territory.
The lack of cultivation information means:
- USDA hardiness zones are unknown
- Soil preferences remain undocumented
- Water requirements are unclear
- Mature size and growth habits are unspecified
Better Native Alternatives
If you’re drawn to the idea of growing native sedges, consider these well-documented alternatives that offer proven garden performance:
- Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) – excellent groundcover for shade
- Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) – ornamental native grass with great fall color
- Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) – drought-tolerant lawn alternative
The Bottom Line
While Carex ×subsalina represents an interesting piece of Canada’s native flora, it’s not practical for most gardeners. The lack of cultivation information, limited availability, and unknown garden performance make it better suited for botanical collections than home landscapes. If you’re passionate about native plants, focus on well-documented species that offer proven benefits to both your garden and local wildlife.
Sometimes the most responsible approach to rare or poorly understood native plants is to appreciate them in their natural habitats while choosing better-known alternatives for our gardens.
