Blue Zinger Sedge with arching blue grass-like foliage in a landscape.
Mounds of Blue Zinger Sedge's grass-like foliage in a landscape.
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Blue Zinger Sedge with arching blue grass-like foliage in a landscape.
Mounds of Blue Zinger Sedge's grass-like foliage in a landscape.
All media depicts mature plants.

'Blue Zinger' Sedge (Carex)

Perennial

  • Blue arching foliage adds refreshing color and texture!
  • Semi-evergreen, providing year-round color.
  • Leaves sway in the breeze.
  • Easy to grow in challenging sites.
  • Zones 5-8, part sun/shade, 16" tall x 24" wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • HEIGHT

More info on plant sizes

Size: One Quart
$22.00
Sale: $22.00 Each
Total: $22.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Even in the heat of the summer, Blue Zinger sedge (Carex flacca) will keep your garden looking cool. The thin, arching foliage adds refreshing blue hues as it spreads through the landscape.  It spreads by underground stolons to form a dense blue colony in your landscape for spring, summer, and fall. In warmer climates, it stays evergreen. This versatile grass-like plant, officially known as a sedge, thrives in a wide range of soil types and exposures. It's a practical choice for areas where other plants fail. It's easy to maintain, pest-free, and winter hardy, making it perfect for beginner gardeners!

Details

Botanical name: Carex flacca 'Blue Zinger'
Common name: Blue sedge, caralluma, mace sedge
Zone: 5 - 8
Sun exposure: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun) to shade (< 4 hours sun)
Height x width: 8-16" x 12-24"
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Blue-gray
Season of interest: Year-round
Features: Winter interest, wet soils, suitable for slopes, space savers, rain gardens, heat tolerant, ground covers, deer resistant, container plants, best for beginners
Uses: Accent, container, edging, erosion control, ground cover, massing, rain garden, slopes, small spaces, under planting, waterside, woodland

How to Grow

Soil: Adaptable to a wide range of soils. Drought tolerant once established.
Light: Best growth occurs in part-sun (4-6 hours sun), but the plant will grow in shade (< 4 hours sun).
Water: Prefers even moisture.
Spacing: 12-24 inches.
Fertilizing: Needs very little. On poor soil, a light scattering of time-release fertilizer in spring should be all that is needed.
Winterizing: No special care. It holds its color over winter, so wait until early spring to cut back the foliage.
Maintenance & pruning: Can divide clumps every few years. Cut foliage to the ground in early spring before new growth occurs.

12 Low-Maintenance Ornamental Grasses For Sun or Shade

Ornamental grasses are a staple in most low-maintenance gardens because they are hardy, durable, and add beautiful color, texture, and movement to the landscape. During the winter, ornamental grasses continue to add interest, inviting birds with exposed seed heads while the dried flowers and foliage rustle in the winter winds. Here, we’ll list our favorite low-maintenance ornamental grasses for sun or shade.

Learn More

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.

Plant Spacing Calculator

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  • 5 stars: 13 (72%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 2 (11%)
  • 2 stars: 1 (6%)
  • 1 star: 2 (11%)
A
A.S. (Wisconsin)
Beautifully Blue

I absolutely love these and the Blue Boulder, wonderful color, arrived safely, and could not be happier! Thank you for such incredible 🪴 plants!

C
C.D. (Kansas)

It is doing well in my garden.

E
E. (Colorado)
Carex

I probably ordered the wrong variety of carex because it is small and not what I wanted for the designated space in my garden. I placed it in an small container on my patio table and it seems happy enough there.

Hi Eleanor, thank you for your feedback. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee

K
K.H. (North Carolina)
Conifer lady

Very pleased

R
R.F. (Virginia)
Died

Didn’t survive.

We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee

V
V.W.

I like the quart size container and the plants arrived healthy.

T
T. (Kansas)
Love it!

I planted over 20 sedge plants in my yard as a natural alternative to mulch, and I couldn’t be happier with how well they’re thriving! They’ve held up beautifully through the tough Midwest winters, and even the ones planted in full sun are doing just as well as those in part sun. I had a large area to cover — with dogs frequently running through it — and the sedge has proven to be a durable, low-maintenance solution. It’s filled in the space nicely, looks great, and handles foot (and paw) traffic much better than I expected. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a hardy, attractive groundcover!

M
M.G. (Kansas)
Small and expensive

Plants are very small, expensive, and one died. Not worth the money at all.

We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with our prices! Growing great plants takes time, care, and resources, and our prices reflect that quality—as well as the unique selections you won’t often find in garden centers. For full transparency, plant sizes are clearly noted on our website so you know exactly what to expect. To save on your order, keep an eye out for sales and promos throughout the season. If there’s an issue with your order, please contact [email protected] to start the claims process—your purchase is covered by our 60-day guarantee! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee

B
B.H. (Indiana)
Grows like a weed

I have had this planted for a few years now and while it looks nice, it grows more rapidly than expected and I have had to divide it several times. Buy beware. I am thinking about getting rid of it in some locations due to how invasive this actually is in my yard or at least leaving it in more "hostile" areas only.

Hello! Thank you for your review. Sedges, like Blue Zinger, are known to spread when grown in optimal conditions! It sounds like you're taking great care of your plants. While it is a nuisance, you can rest assured it isn't 'invasive' and is actually native to some areas of the United States (which is probably why it feels so at home). Hope this helps. Happy gardening!

J
J.P. (Missouri)
Choice

First year ordering pants online, totally happy with the results.
Enjoyed looking at the variety of plants then choosing.
Placed three orders over a couple of months. First orders tempature was cool so the plants were not stressed, last order temp in the 90's and plants went straight to water, followed instructions and kept plants inside for 3 days, moved plants outside to a shaded area for three days till they looked rejuvenated, then planted.
Very pleased with the plants that were sent, all very healthy and doing great.
Will continue to order plants this way.

J
J.R. (Arkansas)
Liked but Spreads Quickly

These arrived in good shape but very quickly started spreading. The color was more green than it was blue (like the picture). I ended up digging them all up. I really wanted to like these. I am in zone 7.

R
R.S. (North Carolina)
Great Plants

I bought 6 of these. They arrived well packaged and very healthy. They are doing well where planted. Will be back!

R
R.S. (South Carolina)
Blue Zinger Sedge is great!

The plants arrived healthy and were very well packed. They are thriving. Thank you.

J
J. (Georgia)
Sedge

This is my second order of sedge from Great Garden Plants, and I can't say enough about this company. The plants are heathy and robust, and the way they are packaged assure that they will arrive undamaged.
Unbelievable!!!!!! I am so happy.

J
J. (Georgia)
Great Accent

The plant is shipped in quart size and becomes established as soon as planted. It completes a rock garden of ground covers.

B
B.L. (New York)
Truly zinger

I have bought this plant several times from Great Garden Plants, as testimony to my loving it. It arrived healthy and has a beautiful colour and form.

E
E.R. (Ohio)
Healthy plants! Outstanding shipping!!

This is my second order of Blue Zinger sedge. The plants in my first order this past spring were so healthy and shipped in such wonderful packaging that I didn’t hesitate to order some more. The plants are the healthiest and most robust of any online-order plants I’ve ever received. And I am terribly impressed with how Great Garden Plants packages its plants for shipping: 1) very green concept; and 2) there’s no way plants are going to arrive damaged in their special packing boxes. This nursery is at the top of my list for future online plant orders.

R
R.S. (Washington)

The sedge should be fine. The other plant on the order, several were dying or did once planted.

L
L.

Will this plant do in very wet soil?

Great Garden Plants

The 'Blue Zinger' Sedge is adaptable to a wide range of soils including wet soils.

E
E.W.

When to plant

Great Garden Plants

Hello! Spring is a great time for planting! The rule of thumb for spring planting is to get the plants in the ground once the threat of frost has passed and the ground has become workable. If you are not sure when your average last frost is, you can ask a local nursery.

G
G.W.

Sedge is back in stock. If I buy now can I plant now knowing frost is very probable.

Great Garden Plants

Hello! Sedge is back in stock, but our shipping department has closed for the 2024 season. Orders can be placed now for a spring 2025 delivery date. Plants should be in the ground at least six weeks before the ground begins to freeze. The next best time for planting is spring, once the threat of frost has passed and the ground becomes workable.

J
J.

We have a pool in our backyard and boulders on the east side as a retaining wall. Some wild bugle weed somehow got started growing above there and it has been doing very well. I purchased petite parakeet bugle weed from you for our front hillside and it seems to be doing well.

However, we have a hillside on the north end of our pool which is mostly in the shade and there is considerable erosion we are trying to stop.

I would prefer to not use more bugle weed and try something different. Will the Blue Zinger sedge be effective at slowing down the erosion? That area is mostly rocky limestone and clay soil.

Great Garden Plants

Hello! Absolutely, 'Blue Zinger' sedge can be a great choice for your shaded, erosion-prone hillside! It's quite adaptable to a wide range of soils, and its growth habit makes it effective for erosion control.

L
L.G.

How many come in the quart/can it be split?

Great Garden Plants

Hello! The 'Blue Zinger' Sedge is sold as a single plant per one-quart container. As the plant matures and forms a dense clump, you can indeed divide it to create more plants. However, we don't receommend splitting young plants as that can damage the root system.