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Narrowleaf Whitetop Sedge

Rhynchospora colorata (RIN-koh-SPOR-uh kol-oh-RAH-tuh)

Family: Cyperaceae Native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Narrowleaf Whitetop Sedge is an evergreen grasslike native perennial found in wet coastal areas, dunes, and along roadsides and ditches. It grows in a wide variety of soils, with or without good drainage, sometimes found growing submerged in shallow waters. It resembles a grass with daisy-like flowers with long, drooping, pointed petals. It spreads by rhizomes. The plant should be divided when the clumps become too large. Cutting back in the winter makes way for a flush of spring growth. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems:

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 39 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Rhynchospora latifolia

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Green; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The 2-3" cone-shaped green-tipped white flowers bloom from May to September.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit detail
Displays from June to October.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern U.S.A., Mexico, South America
Distribution
AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA
Wildlife value
Attractive to bees and butterflies.
Attracts
Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden
Garden tags
#sedge #NC native #native sedge #Coastal FACW #food source herbage #Piedmont Mountains FACW #food source hard mast fruit #food source fall #deer resistant #humidity tolerant #Audubon #coastal plant #wildlife friendly #NC Native Pollinator Plant
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Propagation
Division

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.