Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster' (Sedge)

Red Rooster sedge is one of the most distinctive ornamental grasses available for Pacific Northwest gardens, and its unusual coloring makes it genuinely irreplaceable in certain planting combinations. The finely textured, upright foliage emerges in warm coppery-red tones and develops into a rich bronze through the growing season, deepening to remarkable copper and orange tones in autumn. The individual blades stand 18 to 24 inches tall, upright and slightly arching with delicate curled tips.

This New Zealand native is a cool-season performer that actually looks its best in fall and winter when most other plants have faded, making it exceptionally valuable for year-round garden interest. It pairs beautifully with blue-toned grasses, purple foliage shrubs, or the silver-grey of ornamental artemesia.

Plant Red Rooster in borders, rock gardens, or mixed containers where the upright, arching form can be appreciated. It tolerates a range of soil conditions and is reasonably drought tolerant once established.