Fields and disturbed open forests.

A European introduction collected by P. E. Rothrock on Mackinac Island, Mackinac Co., in 1990.

This looks like a small plant of Carex spicata, with perigynia usually smaller, mostly 3.5–4 mm long, as opposed to mostly 4–5 mm in C. spicata, and lacking spongy thickening at the base. This may be somewhat overlooked.