Written by Beth Whipple, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer
“How many times have you walked through a woodland or meadow and seen animals busily spreading wood mulch—chickadees placing each piece just so, squirrels smoothing it with their tails? It’s a sight to see as nature works to reduce weed competition and add organic matter to the soil.” — Izel Plants.
That quote made me laugh because, of course, nature does not work that way, but while painting a funny picture, it makes one think.
In natural landscapes, every layer is filled with living plants, from ground covers and grasses to shrubs and trees. This “green mulch” improves soil, retains moisture, suppresses weeds, filters water, cleans the air, and provides wildlife habitat. By contrast, reapplying wood mulch every spring in urban landscapes works against that natural system. It keeps plants in a constant establishment phase and limits their ability to self-seed, intermingle, and provide their full benefits.
I’ll admit that we have used a lot of mulch at home. Until I attended my most recent OSU Advanced Native Plant class, I did not fully understand the alternatives. We have relied on mulch for years and even have equipment to make the work easier, including a dump trailer, mini skid steer, and cart for hauling and applying gravel, topsoil, and mulch.
Carex or sedges work as green mulch. This is a link to a Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to search for sedges which are native to Ohio.
We have several areas where sedges could serve well as green mulch, beginning around a beech tree where turf struggles to grow. There, we are planting Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica), a valued native ground cover for shady, dry woodland sites. Its strengths include excellent shade and drought tolerance, low maintenance as a peat-free turf alternative, erosion control, and strong deer resistance.
We are also looking at shaded areas with exposed tree roots and spots near pine trees. For those sites, I am considering Carex flaccosperma (thinfruit sedge, or blue wood sedge), a versatile native perennial known for its powdery blue-green foliage and easy care. It offers an attractive, ecologically beneficial alternative to invasive, nonnative ground covers such as Liriope.
From there, I hope to expand sedges to the hill and other garden beds. I am looking at purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis), a low maintenance, drought-tolerant native grass valued for its hazy reddish-purple blooms in late summer and its ability to thrive in poor, dry soils. It also provides erosion control and adds beauty to both formal gardens and naturalized meadows.
My husband is especially happy about the plan because it means less mowing, and he is eager to use his new auger drill bits to plant the plugs.
Concerned about sedges and ticks? You can balance a lush, pollinator-friendly garden with tick safety through thoughtful landscaping and targeted barriers. Naturalizing spaces with native plants can restore biodiversity and help reduce tick pressure. Naturalized Gardens Ticks prefer moist, shaded, humid areas with dense ground covers, or leaf litter. By managing high-traffic spaces carefully, you can enjoy the outdoors while still supporting your local ecosystem. If you have concerns, visit this OSU website kx.osu.edu/bite and the Portage County Health Department Portage County Tick Surveillance Dashboard both are helpful resources.
Prairie Up Unlawning America – Benjamin Vogt - teaching and empowering to grow with plants, and create habitat corridors Wild Ones Green Mulch
Native Grasses and Sedges: Smart Choices for Better Landscapes
Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program. As Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, our articles will never endorse specific products or companies. Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 • OSU PCMGV web • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau