Carex abscondita, commonly known as Thicket Sedge, is a perennial graminoid native to moist, shaded areas within deciduous forests, shrublands, and swamps across the central and eastern United States, from eastern Texas to southern Missouri, east to the Atlantic coast, and north to New Hampshire. It typically grows up to 26 inches tall, featuring triangular stems with reddish bases and narrow, grass-like leaves. The Thicket Sedge is distinguishable from its close relative, Carex digitalis, by its shorter flowering stems relative to the leaves and narrower staminate spikes. It produces inconspicuous greenish-brown flowers in late spring to early summer.

Thicket Sedge is valued for its ability to thrive in wet conditions and is often used in rain gardens, wetland restoration projects, and naturalized areas to maintain biodiversity and soil stability. It prefers partial to full shade and consistently moist to wet soils, making it suitable for challenging garden spots where other plants might struggle. Carex abscondita is relatively low-maintenance, but gardeners should be aware that it can spread and form dense colonies, potentially outcompeting other plants in small spaces.CC BY-SA 4.0