Software
Houzz Logo Print
greenhearted

Experience with Carex 'Ice Dance'?

This time of year, I am haunting all the big box stores for their perennial plant clearances.

I picked up two Carex 'Ice Dance' for $5 each today. I always thought it was a clump former but looking around online it appears to be a spreader. Just wondering if anyone is growing this and can tell me more about its habit so I know where to place it.

Thanks!

Comments (16)

  • 9 years ago

    Prefers moist shade. In much sun, it tends to bleach out and gets lots of dried looking foliage over time and since it is fully evergreen in my climate, it doesn't get cut back so tends to look messy unless you go in and carefully groom out the dried blades. In fact, I can't say how well it will respond to a heavy pruning.......most evergreen sedges do not but YMMV. And it definitely spreads!!

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
  • 9 years ago

    In my garden it spreads quite vigorously, a good thing since each winter the voles munch it, both the roots and the top growth. Its vigor means there are always some sprigs left to resprout in spring, but I also have to clean out a bunch of dead foliage from where the voles ate just the roots. Mine get a few hours of morning sun, but then are shaded by a tall building and some pines for the rest of the day.

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
  • 9 years ago

    Great, thank you both! I was wanting to use it like a groundcover in a north facing bed, so it sounds like it would work pretty well there.

  • 9 years ago

    Thanks for the links Rouge! I wonder why I didn't see that thread when I searched.

    Too bad the Hameln didn't do so well, they looked charming together.

  • 9 years ago

    I bought a single Carex 'Ice Dance' 10+ years ago, planted it on the north side of my garage in full shade. About 6 years ago I decided to divide it and plant the divisions as a border along the curved edge of a part shade bed on a slope at the north side of my garden. I divided it into about 16 pieces, gave a couple to my daughter and planted the others as I pleased. The divisions "exploded" with growth and although they do form an "enthusiastic" border along the edge of the bed, they do produce off-springs which also multiply. It's not invasive but I stand by "enthusiastic."

    I alternated the C. 'Ice Dance' divisions along the edge of the bed with Alchemilla mollis/Lady's mantle with spacing of about 11 inches either side. The Lady's mantle didn't stand a chance against the 'Ice Dance.' There are a couple that remain...

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked gardenweed_z6a
  • 9 years ago

    Thanks gardenweed! I was hoping to use it as a border on my north bed too. Glad it works well for that purpose. This is a bed I don't tinker as much in, so I think "enthusiastic" would be perfect - less weeds to fight.

  • 9 years ago

    FWIW greenhearted here is a picture of our two ID one year after they both went in the ground:

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
  • 9 years ago

    I agree with the "enthusiastic" spreader description. I have mine in a few different locations and it does well in all of them. After winter, I cut it back once it blooms. If it reseeds, I've gotten only solid green seedlings, which are even more vigorous than 'Ice Dance.'

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked ruth_mi
  • 9 years ago

    Thanks Rouge, looks like they put on quite a bit of growth but not scary amounts. Very nice plants!

    Thanks Ruth about the heads up with the reseeding; for some reason I thought this was a sterile cultivar.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very easy plant in its preferred conditions and looks great once leafed out, pretty tough plant. Will spread at a good clip, as mentioned already. Be forewarned: It is butt-ugly in the spring.

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked porkchop_z5b_MI
  • 9 years ago

    Thanks for the heads up about the "bedhead" in the spring, mxk3

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    UPDATE:

    greenhearted, although right now the weather is unseasonably warm we have had some killing frosts earlier and this grass just shrugs it off. It still looks perfect. Here it is today November 5 with fallen leaves all around.

    greenhearted Z5a IL thanked rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
  • 9 years ago

    Those look like nice clumps. From the discussions of the plant being a spreader I didn't expect it to clump. Kept mine in a large pot this year. It didn't grow much as got covered by the huge coleus in the pot.

  • 9 years ago

    mnwsgal, I dont have much experience with grasses but this and the "All Gold Japanese Forest Grass" look really healthy well into November.

  • 9 years ago

    Thanks for the update Rouge! Mine are still in the pots I bought them in! They have proven themselves to be quite tough as they look perfect despite my neglect. I decided at the last minute that I wanted to redo the whole North bed that I was going to put them in, so I'm just going to overwinter them in their pots.

    Agree with mnwsgal that the dense clumps you have are especially attractive.

Sponsored
Onestop Kitchen Bath
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars2 Reviews
Maryland & Virginia's One Stop Kitchen & Bath Remodeling Service