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Carex trifida 'Rekohu Sunrise' (Variegated Tataki Grass) - A large New Zealand clump-forming evergreen sedge that grows upright to 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide with strong relatively broad mid-green leaves with gold margins that are bluish on underside and weep over gracefully toward the leaf tip. The leaves are strongly channeled in the lower half and slightly double folded into the shape of a "w" near the tips. Brown flowers in dense spikes rise to the top of the foliage in summer.
Plant in full sun (coastal) to light shade in rich well-drained soils and irrigate regularly. Hardy to 0°F (USDA Zone 7) and resistant to deer predation. A very attractive plant useful for a focal specimen in the ground or container or used in a mass planting.
The non-variegated Carex trifida is native to rocky coastal areas of the southern area of the South Island of New Zealand as well as other New Zealand subantarctic islands (Stephens, Stewart, Chatham, Snares, Antipodes, Auckland, Campbell Islands) as well as the Australian Island of Macquarie and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) off of the Argentine coast. In these cold harsh headlands, it forms dense tussocks that provide dense cover for muttonbird (Short-tailed Shearwaters) rookeries and give this plant one of its common names, Muttonbird Sedge. Rekohu is the Maori name for Chatham Island, the largest island in the Chatham Island chain that lies over 500 miles (870 km) to the east of New Zealand and the name was used as the specific epithet of Carex rekohu Petrie, which is now considered to be a synonym for Carex trifida.
This variegated cultivar was discovered by Terry & Lindsey Hatch of Joy Plants, Pukekohe, New Zealand and it received US Plant Patent 20,512 on December 1,2009. It is being marketed in the U.S. by PlantHaven. We started growing this interesting large sedge in 2009 and, while attractive in the containers, it did not seem particularly adaptable to our hot dry mediterranean climate and we discontinued growing it in 2011.
The information displayed on this page about Carex trifida 'Rekohu Sunrise' PP20,512 is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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