Largehead sedge (Carex macrocephala)

Family: Cyperaceae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Carex macrocephala is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Root - cooked. Seed. Very nutritious. The seed is small and fiddly to use. — The seed is small and fiddly to use.

Habitat & North American Range

Sand dunes along the seacoast, N. Japan. Sandy beaches along seacoasts, sounds, bays, and inlets, especially on dunes in N. America. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)