Grass or grass-like · Cyperaceae

Graceful sedge

Carex gracillima

Graceful sedge is recorded as native to 24 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 580 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Graceful sedge at a glance

Native in: 580 counties, across 24 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a PLANTS minimum temperature −33°F
Mature height: 3 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade Medium water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 4a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −33°F; zone 4a winters bottom out at −30°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 580 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Connecticut statewide record
Delaware 2 counties
Georgia 2 counties
Illinois 10 counties
Indiana 42 counties
Kentucky 19 counties
Maine 13 counties
Maryland 14 counties
Massachusetts 11 counties
Michigan 66 counties
Minnesota 45 counties
Missouri 2 counties
New Hampshire 9 counties
New Jersey 11 counties
New York 52 counties
North Carolina 20 counties
Ohio 36 counties
Pennsylvania 65 counties
Rhode Island 2 counties
Tennessee 12 counties
Vermont 13 counties
Virginia 54 counties
West Virginia 20 counties
Wisconsin 60 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 3 ft
Growth rate: Slow
Growth form: Bunch
Shape: Semi-Erect
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: Medium water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: Medium
Precipitation range: 36 to 55 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Medium and fine
pH range: 4.7 to 6.9
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Minimum root depth: 8 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −33°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 85
Fire tolerance: High

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Green
Showy flowers: No
Bloom period: Late Spring
Foliage color: Dark Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Brown

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Routinely Available
Family: Cyperaceae
PLANTS symbol: CAGR2

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Carex gracillima (PLANTS symbol CAGR2).
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.