Woolgrass vs Bebbs Sedge - TreeTime.ca

Woolgrass vs Bebbs Sedge

Scirpus cyperinus

Carex bebbii

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Woolgrass
Bebbs Sedge

Woolgrass is a native perennial sedge that forms dense clumps in wetlands, ditches, and along shorelines. Its ability to thrive in saturated soils and shallow water, combined with its spreading growth habit, makes it especially valuable for waterside & riparian plantings, erosion control, ecological restoration, and naturalization projects.

The distinctive spikelets are covered in brown woolly bristles, which is where it gets the name Woolgrass. It produces seeds that are eaten by waterfowl and small mammals, while its dense stems offer cover and nesting habitat. It grows most actively in spring and fall, slowing or going dormant in the summer heat.

Bebb’s Sedge is a native perennial wetland plant that forms dense clumps of grass-like stems. It grows in a variety of wetland habitats, from marshes and wet meadows to lakeshores and stream banks. Ideal for rain gardens, riparian restoration, soil stabilization, and naturalization projects.

In late spring and early summer, Bebb’s Sedge produces clustered seed heads that mature from green to reddish-brown, adding seasonal interest while providing food and habitat for wildlife. As a cool-season plant, it grows most actively in the spring and as temperatures cool in the fall.

Woolgrass Quick Facts

Bebbs Sedge Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, 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
Growth form: clump forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low


Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: brown woolly sedge, common woolgrass, common woolly bulrush, cottongrass bulrush, marsh bulrush, wool grass
Other Names: bebbs oval sedge