Plant ID & Ecology: Sedges and Rushes

Sedges and rushes are ubiquitous and ecologically significant elements of our natural landscapes, but lacking showy flowers, they are often overlooked. This class will introduce a number of the common sedges and rushes frequently encountered in woods, wetlands, and meadows, highlighting their subtle variety and visual appeal. Following a PowerPoint presentation showing key identification features of these two groups of plants, we will look at living specimens on the Gardens’ grounds, and, time permitting, in natural habitats at a local land trust.

Ted Elliman has been engaged in botanical work in New England and other northeastern states for more than thirty years. Most recently, he was a botanist and plant ecologist on the staff of the New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he conducted botanical inventories, natural community surveys, invasive species control programs, and helped publish Wildlfowers of New England.