Chamisso Sedge
Carex pachystachya
- Native to:
- Aleutian Is., Canada, Russia, United States
Matt Lavin
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Cyperaceae
- Genus:
- Carex
- Species:
- Carex pachystachya
- USDA Symbol:
- CAPA14
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 90 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes after fire. Common in mountain meadows with periodic fire regimes.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers habitats like meadows and forest edges
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination and benefit from cold-moist stratification. Germination can be erratic and spread over several weeks.
Pre-treatment: Dehulling enhanced germination up to 84%. Seeds also need six or more weeks cold-moist stratification before germinating.
Establishment: Seed heads can be clipped or easily hand-stripped when seed is mature, brown, and starting to shatter. This species is usually found in large patches, but heads must be collected individually because they grow intermixed with other species.
Source: npn.rngr.net