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White-edge Sedge

Carex debilis

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in swamps, bogs, other moist to wet habitats. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

57
Strong

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 3 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
May to August
Fruiting season
Summer

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 23 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 137 animals.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

18CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Carex

  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
  • Amolita roseolaPink Sedge Moth, Rosy Grass Moth
  • Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
  • Cercyonis pegalaCommon Wood Nymph
  • Deltote belliculaBurnished Bog Moth, Bog Deltote, Bog Lithacodia
  • Euphyes dionDion Skipper, Sedge Skipper
  • Euphyes dukesiDukes' Skipper
  • Euphyes vestrisDun Skipper, Dun Sedge Skipper, Sedge Witch)\
  • Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
  • Lethe appalachiaAppalachian Brown, Appalachian Eyed Brown
Show all 18
  • Leucania phragmitidicolaNeedle Wainscot, Phragmites Wainscot
  • Maliattha synochitisBlack-Dotted Lithacodia, Black-Dotted Glyph, Brass-Dotted Grass Moth
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Poanes viatorBroad-Winged Skipper
  • Pseudeustrotia carneolaPink-Barred Lithacodia, Pink-Barred Pseudeustrotia
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Cosmopterix ebriola
  • Donacaula dispersella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Carex

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
50BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Carex

  • Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Ammospiza leconteiiLeConte's Sparrow
  • Anas acutaNorthern Pintail
  • Anas creccaGreen-winged Teal
  • Anas platyrhynchosMallard
  • Anas rubripesAmerican Black Duck
  • Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
  • Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
  • Anser rossiiRoss's Goose
Show all 50
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Anthus spragueiiSprague's Pipit
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Branta canadensisCanada Goose
  • Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
  • Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
  • Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Cygnus buccinatorTrumpeter Swan
  • Cygnus columbianusTundra Swan
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
  • Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
  • Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
  • Lagopus mutaRock Ptarmigan
  • Leucosticte atrataBlack Rosy-Finch
  • Mareca americanaAmerican Wigeon
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
  • Porzana carolinaSora
  • Rallus limicolaVirginia Rail
  • Rhynchophanes mccowniiMcCown's Longspur
  • Spatula discorsBlue-winged Teal
  • Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Spizelloides arboreaAmerican Tree Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Cyperaceae
Flower color
Green
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Grows in clumps
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

White Edge Sedge

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources