Plains Oval Sedge - Carex brevior

Carex brevior, also known as Plains Oval Sedge or Shortbeak Sedge, is a perennial plant native to Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Sedges are essential, unobtrusively filling the landscape with insect habitat, sheltering bees, hosting moth and butterfly caterpillars, and growing vital early and mid-season seeds for birds. While many sedges are adapted to specific habitats grasses find difficult - wet soil or shade, Plains Oval Sedge is not fussy, often found in dry areas but also tolerates seasonal flooding. It even goes from full sun to full shade. It is naturally short, with seed heads maxing out at 2 feet and the foliage at about a foot, with a graceful mounding character. It is a resident of grasslands, grassy slopes, rock outcrops, dunes, and occasionally forests or wetlands. Bonus: it is resistant to deer and rabbits!
 
Plains Oval Sedge excels in the seed department. The seed heads are attractive alternating oval bundles and they turn a rich golden brown in the late summer/fall. Add this plant as a living mulch or matrix layer around your showy plants to add habitat value and naturally suppress weeds.