It should not be confused with the unrelated grass species known as "broom sedge," Andropogon virginicus.

This sedge is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada and most of the continental United States, from California to Maine.

[1] Carex scoparia can be found in many types of wetland habitat, from meadows to irrigation ditches, though it is adaptable to varying soils and hydrologic conditions.

The inflorescence is a cluster or open array of several bullet-shaped spikes of flowers.

The fruit is covered in a sac called a perigynium which is light in color.