Fringed Sedge - Carex crinita

Carex crinita is a perennial sedge native to Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The foliage is 2 to 3 feet in height and adds a great deal of texture and greenery to a planting. Drooping spikes of flowers and seeds may extend 12" above the foliage and add elegance and additional texture. This is an emergent aquatic plant, meaning it can grow in shallow water, but we grow ours in medium moisture potting soil, so an aquatic habitat is not required. Part to full sun.
 
In the wild it is a resident of lake and stream edges, wetlands, ditches, and other low areas. It spreads by short rhizome and seed, slowly forming a tussock and eventually a colony if conditions allow. Fringed Sedge is a cool-season plant, growing most actively in spring and fall, and the foliage tends to be evergreen and deer resistant.
 
Many insects, including some butterflies and skippers, specialize to host their caterpillars on sedges. Those caterpillars and other insects in turn feed birds, who may also eat the seeds in the later season. Good for rain gardens, erosion control, moth and butterfly habitat, bird habitat, and garden accents.
 
Sources:
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Minnesota Wildflowers
Illinois Wildflowers
Michigan Flora