Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 6b |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 24 inches |
| Spread | 24 inches |
| Light requirements | partial shade to shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to wet |
| Plant origin | import |
Sparkler Palm Sedge
Botanical name: Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’
Attractive variegated foliage in whorls, at the end of cane-like stems; perfect in containers, or as a groundcover; prefers part shade and consistent moisture.
Ornamental Features
Sparkler Palm Sedge's attractive narrow leaves remain bluish-green in color with prominent buttery yellow stripes and tinges of creamy white throughout the year. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Sparkler Palm Sedge is an herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Sparkler Palm Sedge is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Container Planting, Bog Gardens
Planting and Growing
Sparkler Palm Sedge will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Sparkler Palm Sedge is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
