Carex comans Amazon Mist - Sedge

Carex comans ‘Amazon Mist’ is a variety of New Zealand sedge with silvery trailing foliage that forms lovely, soft cushions in borders and containers. This evergreen grass adds movement, light, and texture, even in the depths of winter. It highlights colourful flowers and softens rocky scenes or slopes. Easy to grow in a mild climate, this sedge adapts to many gardens, from a small contemporary patio to a natural or coastal garden.

This plant belongs to the Cyperaceae family, that of the sedges. The botanical species Carex comans, called New Zealand sedge, is native to the two main islands of New Zealand. It is a perennial that retains its foliage in winter in temperate climates.
The cultivar ‘Amazon Mist’ is distributed in horticulture under several names: Carex comans ‘Amazon Mist’, Carex albula ‘Amazon Mist’, or simply Carex ‘Amazon Mist’. It is part of the ColorGrass® series, developed in the Netherlands for ornamental use in pots and borders. Compared to the species, ‘Amazon Mist’ is distinguished by lighter, sage-green to silvery foliage and by its distinctly more trailing growth, which does not turn brown in winter.
The plant forms a tight clump composed of extremely fine, almost capillary leaves, flexible, slightly arched from the base and distinctly curling at the tips. Their upper surface is a light green tinged with grey, the underside tends towards a whitish silver; this contrast gives the clump a slightly misty appearance. The plant reaches 25 to 35 cm in height with a spread of 40 to 60 cm in a few years in the ground, slightly less in a pot. It does not produce suckers. In May-June, fine light brown spikes appear amidst the foliage; as with most sedges, these unisexual flowers are discreet, unscented, and wind-pollinated.
During cold winters, the leaves may partially dry out, but the clump regenerates from the centre in spring after a simple clean-up. The hardiness of this cultivar is estimated at -10/-12°C at its peak in very well-drained soil.

In the garden, Carex ‘Amazon Mist’ creates small silvery waves at the foot of borders, along a low wall, or on a sunny slope. It also finds a place in a rockery or a large container. It can be paired with the large, silky leaves of Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’ or the mauve cushions of Origanum ‘Rosenkuppel’. In a dry garden, it naturally complements the chartreuse green clumps of Euphorbia myrsinites, which bring out its grey highlights. Together, these plants create an interesting display even in winter.