Carex pensylvanica, also known as Pennsylvania sedge or oak sedge, is a low-growing, semi-evergreen perennial grass native to eastern and central North America. It is a versatile plant commonly used as a ground cover in woodland gardens or shaded areas, a lawn substitute for dry, shady soils, and for erosion control. It also works well as an underplanting for shade-loving perennials and provides birds with shelter and nesting materials. Thriving in partial shade, it prefers well-drained, dry to moist soils that are either sandy or loamy and is drought-tolerant once established. Its narrow, grass-like leaves are pale green during spring and summer, turning sandy-tan in the fall.