Outdoor Elements
The Sedge with Edges: Discovering the Seersucker Sedge 🌿
Clip | 3m 10sVideo has Closed Captions
Even in late winter and early spring, some plants really stand out along the trail! Evie c
Even in late winter and early spring, some plants really stand out along the trail! Evie came across a cluster of Seersucker Sedge — also known as Plantain-Leaved Sedge — during a hike at Love Creek Nature Center. In this episode of Outdoor Elements, she breaks down how to identify this unique plant by its textured leaf structure and explains the role its flowers play in p...
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Outdoor Elements is a local public television program presented by PBS Michiana
Outdoor Elements
The Sedge with Edges: Discovering the Seersucker Sedge 🌿
Clip | 3m 10sVideo has Closed Captions
Even in late winter and early spring, some plants really stand out along the trail! Evie came across a cluster of Seersucker Sedge — also known as Plantain-Leaved Sedge — during a hike at Love Creek Nature Center. In this episode of Outdoor Elements, she breaks down how to identify this unique plant by its textured leaf structure and explains the role its flowers play in p...
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSometimes we overlook really interesting plants that at certain times of the year don't look like much.
But in late winter and early spring they really shine.
This is plantain leaf sedge, This is plantain leaf sedge, also called seersucker sedge.
And it gets that name because the leaves in between And it gets that name because the leaves in between the parallel veins are often puckered like seersucker fabric.
In late winter and early spring, they shoot forth these very colorful flowering spikes.
And they're kind of unique.
Sedges actually are wind pollinated, so they don't rely on insects for pollination.
These actual flowers have male flowers on the top and then kind of nondescript, much finer, much tinier female flowers below.
And the male part of the flower will release pollen, dropping it down onto these female flowers that are much, much finer.
And they're born on these Burgundy colored stalks, which are really, really striking.
I think the color combination is really fun to see as the sedge.
Sedges have edges and so literally, if we try to roll this flowering stalk between our fingers, we can feel that it is three sided.
It has edges rather than being round like grasses.
Members of the grass family are round members of the sedge family.
Sedges have edges, so that's kind of fun.
Plant and leaf sedge always kind of grows in these clumps, and it can form kind of a nice groundcover in rich woods that has lots of leaf litter and really rich, moist soil so that it can grow well under maples and oaks and beech trees.
And I think it's kind of a fun thing to even look at this side of the leaf, because in cross-section, here's one.
I don't know that maybe got like browsed by a deer or cut by something.
It's actually almost like an M shape in the cross section.
So that's another fun thing to look for.
Sedges come in all shapes and sizes, but this is one of our largest sedges and it is very common if you happen to be hiking up at Love Creek Nature Center in Berrien County, Michigan, which is where I found these beautiful specimens.
And remember, you can find your own outdoor elements when you visit area parks and natural areas.
We'll see you soon.
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