Grass or grass-like · Cyperaceae

Northwest Territory sedge

Carex utriculata

Northwest Territory sedge is recorded as native to 24 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 450 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

Northwest Territory sedge at a glance

Native in: 450 counties, across 24 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 3a PLANTS minimum temperature −43°F
Mature height: 3.5 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Full sun (shade-intolerant) High water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 3a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −43°F; zone 3a winters bottom out at −40°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 450 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Alaska 19 counties
California 29 counties
Colorado 35 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Illinois 5 counties
Indiana 11 counties
Maine 16 counties
Maryland 3 counties
Massachusetts 14 counties
Minnesota 46 counties
New Hampshire 9 counties
New Mexico 11 counties
New York 38 counties
Ohio 9 counties
Oregon 28 counties
Pennsylvania 29 counties
South Dakota 8 counties
Tennessee 1 county
Utah 24 counties
Vermont 12 counties
Virginia 3 counties
Washington 25 counties
Wisconsin 57 counties
Wyoming 18 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: 3.5 ft
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth form: Rhizomatous
Shape: Semi-Erect
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Intolerant (full sun (shade-intolerant))
Moisture use: High water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: High
Precipitation range: 18 to 60 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Medium and fine
pH range: 5.7 to 7.7
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Medium
Minimum root depth: 8 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −43°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 3a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 100
Fire tolerance: High

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Green
Showy flowers: No
Bloom period: Mid Summer
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Brown

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Contracting Only
Family: Cyperaceae
PLANTS symbol: CAUT

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 utriculata (PLANTS symbol CAUT).
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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