Orange New Zealand Sedge

Orange New Zealand Sedge (Carex testacea)

Orange Sedge, New Zealand Hair Sedge

Full sun to part shade, medium moisture, well-drained soils preferred, tolerates light clay, pH 5.5–7.0.

12–18 inches tall, 18–24 inches wide; flowers are inconspicuous; evergreen to semi-evergreen, arching mound that intensifies from green to bronze-orange with increased sun and cool temperatures; spreads by clump expansion, not aggressive.

Propagation by division in spring.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; ornamental introduction from New Zealand.

Carex testacea is grown primarily for its coppery-orange foliage color, which intensifies in full sun and during cool fall and winter temperatures — making it most vivid October through March in Middle Tennessee's Zone 6b/7a climate. In hot, humid Columbia summers it tends to look more olive-green and may develop tip browning if sited in reflected heat near hardscapes. It performs better in morning sun/afternoon shade exposures than in all-day summer sun. Hardy to Zone 7 reliably but may suffer foliage damage in hard Zone 6b winters; root system typically survives and resprouts. Pairs well structurally with broadleaf evergreen shrubs where a low, arching texture is needed.