Oklahoma Sedge

Carex oklahomensis

Found in seepages, disturbed wetlands, roadside ditches, eastwards probably adventive. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

—

Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height: Up to about 32 inches
Light: Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Moist to wet

No photograph yet. Looking for an old drawing…

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: April to June

JFMAMJJASOND

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 4 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 3

Groundwater seep. Shown: Gum Swamp Trail, Weymouth Woods, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Weymouth Woods Gum Swamp Trail seep, ncwetlands.org, undated. CC BY 2.0. Source record.

Disturbed and introduced wetlands

Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 73 animals.

Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Warbler
Wilsonia citrina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Magnolia Warbler
Dendroica magnolia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

31CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Carex

Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
Amolita roseolaPink Sedge Moth, Rosy Grass Moth
Amphipoea americanaAmerican Ear Moth, American Borer
Amphipoea interoceanicaStrawberry Cutworm, Interoceanic Ear Moth
Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
Apamea indocilisIgnorant Apamea
Apamea sordensBordered Apamea, Rustic Shoulder-Knot
Cercyonis pegalaCommon Wood Nymph
Deltote belliculaBurnished Bog Moth, Bog Deltote, Bog Lithacodia
Euphyes bimaculaTwo-Spotted Skipper, Two-Spotted Sedge Skipper

Show all 31

Euphyes dionDion Skipper, Sedge Skipper
Euphyes dukesiDukes' Skipper
Euphyes vestrisDun Skipper, Dun Sedge Skipper, Sedge Witch)\
Helotropha reniformisAmerican Crescent Borer, Reniform Celaena, Reniform Helotropha
Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
Lethe appalachiaAppalachian Brown, Appalachian Eyed Brown
Leucania phragmitidicolaNeedle Wainscot, Phragmites Wainscot
Limochores mysticLong Dash
Loscopia velataVeiled Ear Moth, Veiled Grass Moth
Macrochilo absorptalisSlant-Lined Owlet; Slant-Lined Fan-foot
Maliattha synochitisBlack-Dotted Lithacodia, Black-Dotted Glyph, Brass-Dotted Grass Moth
Meropleon diversicolorMulticolored Sedgeminer
Mythimna oxygalaLesser Wainscot
Neonympha mitchelliiMitchell's Satyr
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Plusia putnamiPutnam's Looper Moth, Lempke's Gold Spot
Poanes viatorBroad-Winged Skipper
Pseudeustrotia carneolaPink-Barred Lithacodia, Pink-Barred Pseudeustrotia
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Cosmopterix clemensella
Donacaula dispersella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist 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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Cyperaceae
Flower color: Not applicable

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to June” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Not applicable” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 32 inches” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Partial shade; Full shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	G4
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden