Rich deciduous forests and borders, usually beech-maple but sometimes in oak-hickory or floodplain forests; rarely in open moist fields.

The perigynia of this species (and also Carex cephaloidea and C. cephalophora) turn golden-yellow, sometimes strikingly so, when fully mature. Farwell (1923) was so impressed by this color that he named C. sparganioides var. lutea, but this is normal for the species. See also comments under C. alopecoidea and C. decomposita.