A tussocky sedge, Greater pond sedge has stout, upright flower spikes, strap-like leaves and triangular stems. It prefers lowland wetland habitats on heavy soils.
Greater pond sedge is a clump-forming plant of ditches, ponds, canals, fens and riverbanks, particularly in lowland areas with clay and heavy soils; it is also a popular plant with gardeners. It flowers from May to June, producing stout, upright flowering spikes.
How to identify
Greater pond sedge has tall, triangular stems and bright green, blade-like leaves. Tight, cylindrical clusters of dark brown spikelets (containing the flowers) appear on the ends of the stems.
Distribution
Mainly found in England, particularly in the east, but rarer elsewhere.
Did you know?
As with many sedges and rushes, Greater pond sedge can spread vigorously using creeping rhizomes (underground stems), but also through the pollination of its seeds by the wind.
