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Bladder Sedge

Carex intumescens

57
Strong

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

Profile 100%

Height
2–3 feet
Spread
1–2 feet
Light
Part to full shade
Soil moisture
Average to wet

Space about 1.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 44 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
Late spring
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 41 Louisiana parishes.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 136 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (17)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

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
29BirdsRecorded eating Carex in Louisiana

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Louisiana, most records first.

Show all 29
Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. 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

Birds that eat Carex 29

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Growing and identification

Plant details

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

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Late spring” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Grows in clumps” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Height · “2–3 feet” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
  • Light · “Part to full shade” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
  • Soil · “wet to medium” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
  • Spread · “1–2 feet” · Native Plant Trust: Carex intumescens
Also known as

Greater Bladder 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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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources