Uncinia uncinata-Red Hook Sedge

Propagating this grass like perennial is done in the spring by digging up the parent plant and dividing it into how ever many plants that show a good root system, but it will also self seed depending on the soil, however transplants are slow to respond. It is an evergreen and only hardy in Zones 8-9, it’s a native of NZ. Its flowers are insignificant but the reddish to brown leaves stand out in full sun and throughout the winter, with slight cutting the tips back in the spring. For those living in the Bay area, the San Francisco Botanical Garden will have a plant sale on May 2, and Uncinia is included because is not normally found at retail nurseries. It prefers a slightly acid soil and bog like conditions, reaches a height of 12"-18", is deer resistant and when sold it is generally mis-labeled as Uncinia rubra.