Carex scoparia Pointed Broom Sedge

General

A wetland sedge often found in swamps, and moist or dry open ground. The seed heads resemble a broomstick, hence the common name. Carex scoparia grows in bunches and will tolerate a variety of soil textures. Not to be confused with Andropogon virginicus, which also has the common name "broom sedge".

Plant Description

Grows in dense tufts. Stems are 3-angled and usually longer than the leaves. Leaves are narrow (1-3 mm wide). The seed heads are at the ends of the stems and are shaped like a pointed witch’s broom.

Height (ft)
1-2.5'

Soil moisture
Wet

Soil types
Coarse to fine textured mineral and organic soils

Wetland indicator
FACW

Shade tolerance
Tolerant

Bloom color
Green

Bloom period
Late Spring

Drought tolerance
None

Salinity tolerance
Low

 

Distribution

Throughout the continental United States, excluding Florida, Texas, and Nevada.

Additional information

Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK

Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK

Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK

Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK

Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK

McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK

USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK