Carex comosa
Bearded sedge
 
Bearded sedge is a striking wetland sedge with distinctive bristly seed heads that persist into fall. It thrives in moist to wet soils and is well suited to rain gardens, pond edges, and naturalized wetlands.
 
The seeds are eaten by ducks and songbirds, while the dense clumps provide cover for amphibians and small wildlife. Like many sedges, it also supports caterpillars used by birds during the breeding season.
 
photo by 
Rob Foster