Carex barbarae

Santa Barbara Sedge

Plant family: Cyperaceae - Sedge

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Plant type: Grass-like

Plant origin: N/A, California

 
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One Gallon 0   12.99

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Flower Color Brown, Red
Blooming Season Spring, Summer
Height 1-2 feet, 2-3 feet
Spread 1-5 feet
Sun / Shade   
Monthly Water
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Wildlife Friendliness Rating
Plant Community > Learn More

Riparian, Woodland/Forest

Best Soil Conditions > Learn More

Decomposed Granite, Sand, Sandy Loam

Special Characteristic

Good in Containers, Important to Native People

Plant Highlights

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.

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