The Hop Sedge - Carex Lupulina By Tammy Sons At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

The Carex lupulina, better known as hop sedge, is a native perennial sedge that is a straw color with a green center. Its margins are transparent and taper to long points or are shortly, rough awned. This grass-like plant will grow to be approximately 2 to 3 feet and will produce dramatic clusters of light green pineapple shaped flowers in the early weeks of summer.

Sedges are a large family of plants that appear similar to grasses; they include many types of moisture-loving species, most of which will happily grow in standing, shallow water or soils that are permanently moist. Many, however, can and will tolerate more arid conditions in areas that don’t have excessive precipitation.

Sedges such as the hop sedge, as well as rushes, are best utilized as fillers in wetland landscaping areas, but they easily add visual interest to large sweeps as well. Another excellent utilization of the hop sedge is as a soil stabilizer. Anywhere soil is in danger of erosion due to stormy weather conditions, the hop sedge is a perfect plant to relieve this problem.

Each hop sedge will form a tuft of basal leaves along with one culm or more that grows to 2 ½ feet long. The culm of Carex lupulina is glabrous, stiff, 3-angled and unbranched. Along their lower half, the culms have 1 to 3 alternate leaves. These will be widely spreading or ascending. Blades of the hop sedge leaves grow to 12 inches long, are medium green in color, channeled along the midribs, rough textured along margins, and glabrous. Outer leaf sheaths of a hop sedge will be a light to a medium green color and glabrous. Their inner sheaths will be membranous and shorten to a bit concave at the mouth of the plant. The plant’s culms terminate in inflorescence that will be up to 6 inches in length and will consist of 1 to 4 pistillate spikelets and a sole staminate spikelet. The staminate spikelet grows to be 2 cm. long, extremely thin, and short-stalked; after the hop sedge sheds its pollen, it will become a dark brown. Blooming will occur during the months of summer. Florets of a pistillate spikelet will be wind-pollinated. The edges under its inflorescence are rough.

The pistillate spikelet has a stout, cylindrical shape and is quite densely packed with perigynia (it will likely have 100 or more). It has a bristly appearance as well, because of the elongated beaks of the perigynia. Each of the perigynium is just under an inch long and approximately a quarter inch across. The beak terminates with 2 small teeth. About 10 fine, longitudinal veins run along the glossy exterior surface of the perigynium has several fine longitudinal veins.

Hop sedge makes an excellent planting in area where you need a grass-like plant that loves moisture and will easily pollinate and multiply to become a thick and luscious bordering stand filler or a lovely addition to your next landscaping project! Find the hop sedge an other great sedges on our website. Order today!

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