There are many grass-like plants that grow worldwide.
Many plants are grass-like in appearance. The grass family includes more than 9,000 species, more than 600 genera and spans every part of the world except Antarctica. Sedge and rush are grass-like plants. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Laboratory maintains it is difficult to distinguish between grass, sedge and rush because to an untrained eye they look similar. All three have fibrous roots, but grass leaves have three parts and sedge and rush have two. Does this Spark an idea?
Asian Grass-like Plants
Over the forested, low mountainous regions of Japan, Bowles golden (Aurea) and evergold (Aurea-variegata), both grass-like sedge plants, thrive. Both plants require a lot of water. Bowles golden sedge will even grow in water. Both plants grow to about 3 feet tall and in clumps. Evergold plants have leaves that turn from rich, dark green to yellow. Bowles golden lives up to its name, boasting narrow, yellow-gold leaves.
Australian Grass-like Plants
Two grass-like plants that grow in Australia are tall sedge (Carex appressa) and knobby club rush (Ficinia nodosa). Both plants prefer clay, loam or sedimentary soils. Due to the sunny nature of Australia it is natural that both grass-like plants prefer full sunlight exposure. Both plants will grow over 3 feet tall if untrimmed. Tall sedge has sharp, serrated leaf edges that are prone to cutting fingers, similar to paper cuts.
European Grass-like Plants
Blue sedge (Carex flacca), also called carnation-grass and Berkeley sedge (Carex divulsa), also called grey sedge, can be found growing in Europe. The blue sedge will grow about 2-feet tall and features blue to green leaves and tolerate varied soil types. The Berkeley sedge is grows to about 2 feet tall. The grass-like leaves are spiky and feature green-hued flowers between the winter and spring months. The Berkeley sedge has often been attributed as a grass-like plant native to California, but according to San Marcos Growers, a California nursery, the correct origin is central Europe.
North American Grass-like Plants
The common woodrush (Luzula multiflora) and spike rush (Eleocharis) both grow throughout planting zones 4-9 in the United States. The spiky rush plant grows in primarily wet places. The plant can even grow completely submersed in water and may appear to be a grass-like aquatic plant. Woodrushes prefer sunny locations but will tolerate partial shade. The leaves of the common woodrush are sometimes red to brown and the grass-like plant retains its leaves throughout the winter.
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