This library and any plant lists generated from it reflect plants we’ve carried or could obtain over the past 12–18 months, not our current inventory or availability.

“Fire Wise” plants are not fireproof. These plants, when maintained properly, have a higher fire resistance reducing fire danger. This list is built on the recommendations of local governments and the Diablo Firesafe Council

Plant Library
ornamental grass

New Zealand Hair Sedge

Carex testacea

Add To My Wish List

print page
 
New Zealand Hair Sedge (Carex testacea) at East Bay Nursery

New Zealand Hair Sedge

New Zealand Hair Sedge

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  24 inches

Spread:  24 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  5b

Other Names:  Orange Sedge

Description:

Ornamental olive green foliage, turning coppery shades in summer, adding warm, orange tints into fall and winter; great in a moist border in shade or sun, does not like to dry out; more orange in full sun locations

Ornamental Features

New Zealand Hair Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its attractive grassy leaves are olive green in color with showy coppery-bronze variegation and tinges of brown. The foliage often turns brown and in fall.

Landscape Attributes

New Zealand Hair Sedge is an herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with a shapely form and gracefully arching stems. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

New Zealand Hair Sedge is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

New Zealand Hair Sedge will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 7 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

New Zealand Hair Sedge is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone  Plant Height  Minimum Sunlight   
Characteristics
Massing  Edging  Garden  Groundcover  Naturalizing  Container 
Applications
Foliage Color  Texture  Plant Form 
Features & Attributes

Plant lists (elsewhere on our site):

Popular searches:

Searching:

In keyword searches, precede the keyword with a “+” to only include plants and a “-” to exclude any plants that contain that keyword.

Enclose any phrase in quotation marks ““ to search for the phrase and not the individual words.

• Use “Quick Search” with “Search By Plant Names” to find plants that meet your criteria
• Use “Category links” to quickly find a grouping of plants
• Use “Advanced Search” to narrow the results within each category
• Use the “Hot Button” check box to prioritize a search attribute

My Wish List:

• Use the “Wish List” check box to save plants of interest for future reference
• Print out your list and bring it to the nursery as a shopping list

Remember, we may not currently have all the plants you choose in stock.