Common Name: Slough Sedge: Perfect plant for Rain Gardens

#NativePlantsofOregon

• Binomial Name: Carex obnupta
• Soil Type: Very wet soil, standing water
• Sunlight: Full sun or part shade
• Form/Growth: Dense, compact clumps
• Plant Type: Creeping rhizome grass
• Foliage: Grass-like
• Flowering: Yes

Slough (pronounced slew) Sedges are native to the Pacific Northwest from British Columbia down to parts of coastal California. They are mainly found near lakes and rivers, forests, and coastal swamps and love shallow water and soggy ground. Which makes these plants ideal for restoration projects and rain garden applications. They hold the soil together well and prevent it from eroding.

This native plant can grow up to 5 feet tall with ½ inch thick shoots that have tiny flowers that bloom from mid-spring to summer. Birds and wildlife enjoy the cover this grass provides as well as the food it produces for them.

This Native Plant of the Month is brought to you by the City of Beaverton’s Landscape and Urban Forestry Department. Visit Clean Water Service’s Native Plant Finder webpage for interactive questions to help you find the right native plant to fit your needs!