Carex buchananii

Description

Carex buchananii – leatherleaf sedge

Botanical name: Carex buchananii
Common names: Leatherleaf sedge, fox-red curly sedge
Family: Cyperaceae (sedge family)
Plant type: Evergreen sedge
Habit: Upright, tuft-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 50–75cm tall × 45cm spread
Foliage: Upright, narrow, coppery red-brown leaves with curled, curling tips; evergreen
Flowers: Insignificant brownish flower spikes; grown for its foliage
Scent: Not scented
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained; sharp drainage in winter; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H4 (hardy, to about −10°C); may be short-lived in cold, wet gardens; USDA zones 6–9
Exposure: Sheltered or open
Native range: Species native to New Zealand
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Carex buchananii, leatherleaf sedge, forms upright tufts of narrow, coppery red-brown leaves with distinctive curled tips. Its warm bronze colour and erect habit bring striking texture to borders, gravel and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

An upright, tuft-forming evergreen sedge from New Zealand, leatherleaf sedge is grown for its striking coppery red-brown foliage, each leaf finished with a curled, corkscrew tip. Its warm colour and erect, feathery habit make a distinctive vertical accent, and, like other New Zealand sedges, its bronze tone is entirely natural.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or autumn in moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil, in full sun to partial shade. Space about 40cm apart; it establishes into a neat clump. Improve very dry or very wet ground before planting. It appreciates sharp drainage, especially over winter.

Care & maintenance

Sedges are not cut hard to the ground like many grasses. Instead, in spring comb through the clump with gloved fingers or a spring-tined rake to pull out the dead leaves, and trim off any tatty foliage; a very untidy plant can be cut back harder to encourage fresh growth. Water in dry spells, as most sedges dislike drying out, and divide congested clumps in spring.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide clumps in spring — quick, easy and the standard method.
• Seed: Species can be raised from seed, though named forms are best from division.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. Aphids occasionally occur, and clumps can rot or die out in the centre in cold, wet, poorly drained conditions. Good drainage and combing out dead growth keep plants healthy.

Uses in the garden

Superb in gravel gardens, contemporary and mixed borders, as an upright accent among greens and silvers, and in containers, where its erect bronze tufts add strong texture.

Wildlife value

The dense tufts provide ground-level cover for insects and small creatures, and sedges support a range of wildlife in damp and naturalistic plantings.

Toxicity & safety

Sedges are generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

A word that reassures many customers: the coppery-brown colour of this sedge is completely natural and healthy — it is not dead or dying, but its normal, year-round colour. Give it good light to keep the colour rich, don’t cut it down like a grass (just comb out any truly dead leaves in spring), and in cold, wet gardens give it sharp drainage, as winter wet is more of a threat than cold.

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