Carex comans Bronco

Carex comans 'Bronco', also known as sedge, is a persistent small New Zealand grass. It is a unique plant, with young leaves tinged with pink in spring, before turning bronze-copper with silver highlights. It is equally remarkable for its dense, shaggy, spread out and trailing crest-like aspect, adorned with discreet metallic reflections. It harmonises with autumn colours, becoming more coppery in the cold. A perennial with a tufted base, this non-invasive ground cover adds character to contemporary or wild settings and can easily be cultivated in pots and planters.

Carex comans 'Bronco' belongs to the Cyperaceae family. Its ancestor is a kind of grass native to New Zealand, particularly the Stewart Islands, where it grows in light undergrowth and forest edges, thriving in well-drained soils, coastal areas, and subalpine meadows. Very hardy, this species easily adapts to our climates, in any well-drained, moist to dry soil.

Carex 'Bronco' is a recent variety, distinguished from the typical species by its broader and more spreading habit, as well as by the richer and more nuanced colouration of its foliage. Very fine and linear, the 50cm (20in) long leaves are strongly arched and form a 45cm (18in) high fountain with a diameter of 45 to 50cm (18 to 20in). In spring, they are light brown with a pink centre, and silver at the tips. In summer, the overall colour is a lovely warm brown, shining with bronze and silver reflections. The flowers appear in June-July and are a reddish-brown, but without much ornamental interest. The vegetation remains decorative in winter.

The hardy and undemanding Carex comans 'Bronco' thrives in the sun and adapts to various growing conditions, but dislikes waterlogged soils. Plant it in a sheltered position, above a rockery or a wall, so that the foliage can cascade freely. For example, plant it with the grey-blue foliage of Heuchera 'Green Spice', Stachys bysantina 'Big Ears', and Origanum 'Rosenkuppel'. The acid-green flowers of euphorbias (Euphorbia myrsinites), the small purple pompoms of ornamental garlic, and the corollas of poppies will enhance the brilliance of its warm-coloured foliage. Resourceful gardeners can use this plant to create unique decorations, such as placing several pots of Carex comans at different levels on a wooden structure. At the base of this structure, plant some annuals like marigolds, red salvias, and purple morning glories.