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Orange New Zealand Sedge (Carex testacea): Glowing Copper-Orange Foliage

Overview

Orange New Zealand Sedge forms a graceful, arching fountain of narrow, olive-green leaves that turn a stunning copper-orange to bronzy-red in full sun and cooler temperatures. It reaches 18-24 inches tall and wide, providing warm color year-round in mild climates.

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Family:	Cyperaceae (sy-peer-AY-see-ee)
Genus:	Carex (KAR-eks)
Species:	testacea (test-uh-SEE-uh)

Cultivation & Uses

Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil. Best color in full sun. Evergreen in USDA zones 7-10; may brown in harsh winters but rebounds. Use in borders, rock gardens, containers, and mass plantings. Stunning when backlit by low sun. Combines beautifully with blue, purple, and silver plants.

Grasses and Bamboo: Leatherleaf Sedge (Carex buchananii); Sedge 'Ice Dance' (Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'); Sedge 'Ice Dance' (Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'); Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula): A Grand, Arching Sedge for Damp Shade; Sedge 'Toffee Twist' (Carex flagellifera): Curly Copper Foliage for Texture; New Zealand Hair Sedge 'Bronze' (Carex comans): Fine Bronze Fountain for Sun; Cherokee Sedge (Carex cherokeensis): A Native, Evergreen Sedge for Southeastern Shade; Acaena buchananii (New Zealand Burr); Orange New Zealand Sedge – Orange-Brown Foliage Accent; Orange New Zealand Sedge – Green Base, Orange-Brown Foliage, Winter Color

Garden Articles

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Sedge 'Silver Sceptre' (Carex morrowii): Variegated Evergreen for Shade

Black Sedge (Carex nigra): A Common, Rhizomatous Sedge of Wet European Meadows

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Weeping Brown Sedge 'Bronzita' (Carex flagellifera): Cascading Bronze Foliage

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