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By Gwin Jamerson, Master Gardener
Plant a sedge. No way! I have spent years trying to kill nut sedge (Cyperus esculentus or Cyperus rotundus). It is a bully plant, crowding out ornamentals, growing above your turf, and only insulted when you try to pull it out or dig it out. But I have been introduced to a totally different sedge. They are called sedges but are not like nut sedge. Two varieties that I am trying is Texas sedge (Carex texensis) or Berkeley sedge (Carex divulsa). These are small evergreen grass-like plants. They like full sun to partial shade. They grow in clumps 1 foot tall by 1 foot wide with long weeping leaves. They grow under deciduous trees, as a border plant, or in a rock garden. They do prefer deep soil. This year the Permian Basin Master Gardeners will have this grass-like plant for sale in our plant sale with the grasses, April 13th, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at Ector County Coliseum Building A.
Interested in ornamental grasses for the landscape? I am but grasses are not very interesting now. They are just coming out of dormancy after being trimmed in February. But wait, they will reward you with late summer through winter interest. Need a large plant to fill a space, try Big Muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri). Need a medium size grass, try gulf coast muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) with its airy pink seed head. New to our plant sale is White Cloud Muhly, a white muhly. Need a small grass, try Elijah Blue Fescue grass (Festuca glauca) or Little Bunny Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides). Grasses are not foundation plants but add so much to a landscape when the wind moves them. Come to the PBMG plant sale at Ector County Coliseum Building A on April 13th to add some variety to your landscape.