Santa Barbara Sedge is native to California and Oregon  where it grows in wet and seasonally wet habitat  such as meadows and riverbanks. This grass-like plant grows in clumps 1' - 3' tall  and is an attractive choice for sunny  moist areas. It will do well in a container too. The tough leaves are narrow and sharp edged with shredding  red-spotted or purple basal sheaths. The inflorescence produces erect and drooping spikes up to about 5" long with an associated long bract which exceeds the length of the spikes. The fruits are covered in a sac called a perigynium which is light to dark brown and sometimes red-spotted  leathery and tough  and sometimes with a toothed  hairy tip. The plant rarely matures into a fruiting stage  however  with most individuals remaining sterile. Parts of this sedge were used in basketry and as sewing fiber by California Native American groups such as the Maidu and Pomo.