Carex comans Phoenix - Sedge Green

The Carex comans 'Phoenix Green' is a variety of New Zealand sedge that is characterised by its fine-textured, green foliage all year round. The leaves form a dense, decorative fountain that remains attractive even in winter. The flowers appear in summer and are a dull brown colour, but without much ornamental interest. Highly versatile, this grass can be used in borders, rock gardens, or containers to decorate the terrace.

The Carex comans 'Phoenix Green' belongs to the family of Cyperaceae. Its ancestor is a type of grass native to New Zealand, particularly the Stewart Islands, where it grows in open woodland and forest edges, thriving in well-drained soils, from coastal areas to subalpine meadows. Very hardy, this species adapts easily to our climates, in any well-drained soil, from moist to moderately dry, preferably neutral to slightly acidic. This variety 'Phoenix Green' forms a small, spreading tuft that measures approximately 30 cm in height, spreading 45 cm wide. Its leaves are linear, very fine, and strongly arching. In spring, their colour is light green. In summer, the green darkens. In autumn, the tips of the leaves take on orange to brown hues. The inconspicuous flowers appear in June. They are small spikes, 3 cm long, and brown.

Plant this Carex comans 'Phoenix Green' in a rock garden or above a wall, on a slope, so that the foliage can cascade freely. In a contemporary setting, pair it with other low-growing grasses with different-coloured foliage. On a slope, it will complement the Stachys byzantina 'Big Ears' and the Origanum 'Rosenkuppel'. The acid-green flowers of the spurges (Euphorbia myrsinites) will perfectly complement its green foliage.