Seeing the Unseen

How Plant Blindness Hides the Wonders of Sedges

Amidst a sea of showy wildflowers, a deer strolls by, flicking her tail with bemusement as she browses on a nearby sedge. In the distance, outstretched trees sustain critters that scurry in and out of their holes while bluebirds twitter in and amongst the branches. For most of us, it is easy to imagine a picture like this with the bright pinks, yellows, and oranges of wildflowers, the shiny leaves of a maple, the twisted knotty branches of an old oak tree, or perhaps the sound of quarreling squirrels chasing each other through the treetops. Who doesn't admire the tuneful call of a handsomely dressed bluebird or the tranquility of a deer as she slowly meanders throughout her day? But what about the Sedge? Often mistaken for grass, we pass by without a second thought. Below are some pictures I've taken of sedges while exploring.

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Sedges belong to the family Cyperaceae and genus Carex (True Sedges). This genus is extremely diverse, boasting more than 2,000 species worldwide with roughly 500 of those existing in North America. Sedges (Carex) inhabit nearly all ecosystems from prairies, savannas, woodlands, forests, and especially wetlands.

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Herbarium collection from 1922

Sedges play an important role in the ecosystems in which they inhabit; many creatures, such as caterpillars, deer, bison, ducks, grasshoppers, and muskrats, use them as a food source. They also contribute greatly to soil stabilization via their extensive root systems, especially in wetlands and along river banks. Their roots also facilitate water filtration by absorbing nutrients and sifting out sediments. Historically, these plants have been used by Indigenous cultures in making baskets, screens, mats, and sandals. Sedges you might be familiar with include water chestnuts and papyrus!

Sedges under the microscope, differences between species are often subtle and hard to distinguish.

At first glance, Sedges appear as grass with slender stems and long, narrow leaves. Upon closer inspection, however, there are noticeable differences. Here is a nice little rhyme to remember the differences: “Sedges have edges and rushes are round, and grasses have nodes all the way to the ground.” As the rhyme goes, sedges do, in fact, have edges. Unlike the cylindrical stem of grasses, sedges have triangular stems. As shown above, the difference is quite easy to tell when rolled between the thumb and forefingers. Sedges also tend to have tightly packed and beautifully arranged “Inflorescence” ( The complete flower head of a plant, including stems, stalks, bracts, and flowers). Sedges also tend to have leaves in groupings of three.

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Perhaps you’ve never noticed a sedge before or didn’t know they even existed. I, myself, hadn’t realized them until a couple of years ago. This is what we nature nerds like to call “Plant Blindness” ( The inability to notice plants in one's environment). This bias is often subtle and unconscious but gives rise to the devaluation and neglect of the extraordinary plant life that surrounds us.

So next time you find yourself exploring a stand of outstretched trees teeming with scurrying critters and twittering bluebirds or a sea of showy wildflowers, be sure to pause and admire the sedge. Her quiet existence and beauty are worth recognizing and will serve you both well!

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Cedar Creek Nature Notes