Common Name: Meadow Sedge
Latin Name: Carex panza
Native Habitat: Marshes, meadows and stream banks in coastal scrub throughout California
Soil: Prefers moisture-retentive
Water: Infrequent to regular
Light: Sun to shade
Height X Width: 12 inches tall
Leaves or Stems: Dark green foliage with floppy habit
The Meadow Sedge spreads by runners and makes a good lawn substitute as it is able to withstand foot traffic.
Common Name: Deer Grass
Latin Name: Muhlenbergia rigens
Native Habitat: Canyons, chaparral, woodlands between 2,500 and 7,000 feet in southern California coastal ranges, and in Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts
Soil: Low organic content, well drained, adaptable
Water: Drought tolerant to moderate
Light: Sun
Height X Width: Maximum: 5 feet x 6 feet. Usual: 3 feet x 4 feet.
Leaves or Stems: Blue-green, khaki when dormant if too dry or too cold
Deer Grass produces tightly packed shoots that sprout gray-green leaves which bend and spill over, and spike-like flowering stems that remain stiff and vertical for years.
Common Name: Foothill Stipa
Latin Name: Nassella lepida
Native Habitat: Chaparral, coastal sagescrub, dry slopes in open grassland, oak woodlands below 4,500 feet, northern to Baja California
Soil: Adaptable
Water: Drought tolerant to tolerable
Light: Sun to part shade
Height X Width: 2 feet x 3 feet
Leaves or Stems: Extremely narrow, pale green, dormant in summer
Fine basal leafage of the Foothill Stipa remains light green after annual vegetation has dried. This appealing grass grows from 1-2 feet tall with graceful drooping particles. It withstands shading and makes rapid growth after a fire.
