Shoreline Sedge

Carex hyalinolepis

native · Central Texas

Shoreline Sedge is a grass native to Central Texas that grows 1–4 ft tall and 3 ft wide. It wants part shade to shade and medium water, and handles clay soil. Blooms green in late spring. Evergreen — it holds its leaves through winter. Good for butterflies.

Wet ground only. A wetland plant: it needs standing water or saturated soil — a pond edge, creek bank or rain garden, not a dry upland bed.

Will it grow in your yard?

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The facts

5 sources

Type: Grass
Sun: Part shade to shade (2–4 hrs of direct sun)
Water: Medium
Height: 1–4 ft
Spread: 3 ft
Bloom: Late Spring · green
Foliage: Evergreen
Soil: Takes clay · recorded on clay, moist
Wildlife: Supports butterflies

Where it grows

Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Northern Blackland PrairieSouthern Post Oak SavannaFloodplains and Low TerracesSan Antonio Prairie

4 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.