Carex testacea 'Prairie Fire' 2ltr

Carex 'Prairie Fire' is a New Zealand sedge grown for the warm colour it brings to the garden all year. Its fine, arching leaves are olive-green flushed and tipped with bright orange, forming a dense, tufted mound. In autumn the foliage deepens to fiery orange-red and holds its colour through winter, making it a good choice for adding warmth when most of the garden has gone quiet. It suits containers, gravel gardens and the front of a sunny border, and looks particularly good with purple-leaved heucheras, blue fescues and hot-coloured perennials.

'Prairie Fire' reaches a height and spread of up to 50cm over two to five years. The orange tones are strongest in full sun, though it will tolerate partial shade. It prefers moist, moderately fertile soil that drains well and copes with drier spells once established, but it dislikes sitting wet over winter. In colder or heavier-soiled gardens, it is happiest in a pot or a raised, free-draining spot. Brown flower spikes appear in summer and droop gracefully as they age.

Care is minimal. In spring, comb out any dead leaves with your fingers or a rake rather than cutting the plant back hard. Water container plants during dry weather, and divide larger clumps in spring.

Supplied in a 2 litre pot, ready to plant out. Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.