Tall Manna Grass vs Wheat Sedge - TreeTime.ca

Tall Manna Grass vs Wheat Sedge

Glyceria grandis

Carex atherodes

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Tall Manna Grass
Wheat Sedge

Manna Grass and other waterside plants are an excellent way to prevent erosion and provide habitat and forage for animals. The difference is that Manna Grass looks better doing it! With distinctive purple grains at the top of its stalks, Manna Grass adds a splash of color to the waterside that most other aquatics can't offer.

Manna Grass is good for returning disturbed sites to nature and provides nourishment to many animals, except for cattle who find it toxic.

Wheat Sedge is a native perennial sedge commonly found in wetlands, ditches, and along shorelines. It thrives in saturated soils, spreading by rhizomes to form large colonies that stabilize both soils and shorelines. This makes it valuable for wetland and riparian plantings.

Its distinctive, wheat-like seed spikes add seasonal character while providing food for waterfowl, and its dense clumps supply cover and nesting habitat for birds and small animals. Together, these traits make Wheat Sedge an important species for enhancing biodiversity and supporting healthy wetland ecosystems.

Tall Manna Grass Quick Facts

Wheat Sedge Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - low
Suckering: medium

Toxicity: toxic to cattle

Foliage: long thin leaves
Flowers: purple
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT
Other Names: american manna grass, reed manna grass
Other Names: awned sedge, hairy leaved lake sedge, slough sedge