Family: Cyperaceae
Carex flagellifera, commonly known as weeping brown sedge, is a perennial plant native to New Zealand and Australia. It is a member of the Cyperaceae family and is known for its fine-textured, arching foliage that forms dense, flowing clumps, often used as a groundcover or for erosion control. In landscaping, it is valued for its low-maintenance nature and ability to thrive in a variety of soil types, including coastal and poor soils, making it a popular choice for gardens, parks, and restoration projects in mild climates.
While weeping brown sedge is not highly invasive, it has shown the ability to naturalize outside its native range and has been recorded as an agricultural and horticultural weed in certain regions. Its traits of shade tolerance, fast reproduction (producing viable seed within a year), and adaptability to a wide range of soil conditions enable it to establish and persist in new environments. The plant spreads via wind-dispersed seeds and can be unintentionally moved by humans, animals, or soil disturbance. Care should be taken to prevent its escape into natural areas, especially in regions with climates similar to its native habitat.
High Risk Traits:
- Naturalized beyond native range
- Agricultural/horticultural weed
- Congeneric weed
- Unpalatable to grazers
- Shade tolerant
- Tolerates varied soils
- Viable seed production
- Fast generation (1 year)
- Human and wind dispersed
- Animal-external dispersal
- Benefits from disturbance
Low Risk Traits:
- No spines/thorns/burrs
- Not parasitic or toxic to humans
- No vegetative reproduction
- Not water/bird dispersed
- No gut passage survival
- Low seed production
- Herbicide susceptible
