Deeprooted sedge is a perennial grass-like sedge native to South America and Mexico. The clumps grow to 3.5 feet tall and are spread by rhizomes. The stems are 3-sided and the leaf bases have a distinctive purple-black coloration. The inflorescence is a cluster of terminal spikelets. The plant invades wetlands and disturbed areas throughout the southeastern United States. It was accidentally introduced to Texas in 1941 and has spread by construction and agricultural activities, and roadside mowing. Deeprooted sedge is beginning to displace native vegetation in undisturbed habitats. Large plants can produce a million viable seeds per year, and the plant can overwinter in much of the South. Also reproduces vegetatively via fragmentation and budding of rhizomes. Glyphosate has been used with some success to control the plant. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Weedy and aggressive. It should be removed from gardens.
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.