Carex laxiculmus Bunny Blue® 'HOBB'

Grow in shade or part shade in moist to average soil with good drainage. Water well on planting and regularly until established.

Enduring silvery blue foliage that goes through the seasons, Carex laxiculmis ‘Hobb’ Bunny Blue® grows in dense, tidy clumps 8”-12” tall in part sun to light shade. Wonderful in shaded borders or along the woodland edge, this sedge is a more consistent blue coloring and form than the straight species.

Native to North America from Ontario to Arkansas, with the highest natural concentration in North Carolina and Tennessee, Carex laxiculmis grows in moist rich soils along stream banks, in the woods, and along swamp edges. It prefers limestone based soils, or calcareous soils, in bright shade but can take part sun with consistent moisture. It is a slow grower and spreads by rhizome. To maintain tidy appearance, a cutback in late winter is advised.

Selected and introduced by the Head Brothers of Seneca, South Carolina, Carex laxiculmis ‘Hobb’ is frequently sold under the trade name BUNNY BLUE®. While the straight species may also have this glaucous coloration, we enjoy the reliability in the cultivar and have found it performs for many years in our shade gardens. Like most sedges, Bunny Blue sedge is resistant to deer and rabbits and provides food and habitat to various insects and wildlife.