Carex trifida

Hee hee - a lovely ornamental grass called Carex trifida, with the scariest seed heads, is destined for higher honours in my garden. I just hope I haven't introduced a variegated monster...

I'll call Carex trifida a New Zealand native, though it is sourced from the islands in the southern ocean. It's obviously a texture-lover's plant, with a beautiful fountain shape and the strongest leaves. Even when the fierce nor-west winds blow through my garden Carex trifida doesn't move a leaf. Nor does it flop or push itself outwards onto neighbouring plants.

Too Good to be True?

Hmm... It all seems far too good to be true. I also grow a coarse-leafed green carex that drops a million seedlings in a thousand different places. I'm wonder if the two are related?

So far I have three of these grasses growing by the water's edge of my irrigation pond. A fourth sits in a new garden border, as part of a fill-it-up with left-overs planting plan. All were found desperately reduced in price on the nursery sale table.

A Foliage Fan

I'm a great fan of foliage plants, and I like the variegation in this grass's stripes. Green and creamy-yellow - a nice colour combination, and not too startling.

So I'll just wait and see what happens to those awfully fluffy seed heads. Will my Carex trifidas go forth and multiply? I wonder. Watch this space. I'm thinking of that old movie called 'The Day of the Triffids' and wondering if there's any connection...