Grass or grass-like · Cyperaceae

Bur-reed sedge

Carex sparganioides

Bur-reed sedge is recorded as native to 26 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 535 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

Bur-reed sedge at a glance

Native in: 535 counties, across 26 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 High 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 535 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Arkansas 2 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Delaware 1 county
District of Columbia 1 county
Georgia 2 counties
Illinois 54 counties
Iowa 7 counties
Kansas 7 counties
Kentucky 30 counties
Maine 6 counties
Maryland 10 counties
Massachusetts 9 counties
Michigan 36 counties
Minnesota 31 counties
Missouri 63 counties
Nebraska 7 counties
New Hampshire 3 counties
New Jersey 11 counties
New York 41 counties
Ohio 54 counties
Pennsylvania 54 counties
South Dakota 2 counties
Vermont 9 counties
Virginia 45 counties
West Virginia 14 counties
Wisconsin 36 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: Moderate
Growth form: Bunch
Shape: Semi-Erect
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: High water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: Medium
Precipitation range: 30 to 55 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Medium
pH range: 5 to 6.8
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: High
Minimum root depth: 10 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: No Known Source
Family: Cyperaceae
PLANTS symbol: CASP3

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 sparganioides (PLANTS symbol CASP3).
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

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