This is a large planting of a variegated sedge Carex trifida in one of the car parks at Otago University. Most people simply walk by without a second glance. I like the great large brown flower spikes.
But there is an interesting story to tell. Variegation is very rare in a sedge. This variety called 'Rekohu Sunrise' was first discovered by Terry and Lindsey Hatch, of Joy Plants, Pukekoe in 1992, as a naturally occurring 'sport' amongst carex seedlings. It remains the only sedge that is variegated. A quick google search revealed that it is available for sale in US, Netherlands, UK and probably other European countries. There are plant patents and the Hatch's have an application for European Plant Breeders Rights and it has received US Plant Patent 20,512 on December 1,2009.
It is also deer resistant, according to the US garden plant websites, which is not something we have to worry about in central Dunedin.
The pictures I saw of it on the various garden websites, showed nothing like the vigorous growth that is exhibits here, shaded in the afternoon by a tall building, and in some tough dry old clay soil. Just goes to show plants in their native habitats (the parent Carex trifida is found on the Chathams, South Island coastal areas, and Stewart Island where it's called tataki) and climates do better than transported half way across the world - well sometimes!
