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FIRST IMPRESSIONS:  Carex ‘Evergold’ is a low clumping perennial sedge from Japan.  Foliage is evergreen or semi-evergreen and arching.  Blades are variegated with a creamy yellow stripe that runs down the center and deep green borders along the edges.  This cultivar prospers in moist well drained soils in part sun to part shade.  Plants are very effective if sited in situations where the foliage can cascade down a slope or over the edge of a container.

HABITAT & HARDINESS:  The parentage of this Japanese sedge cultivar is uncertain.  It has been speculated that ‘Evergold’ is a cultivar of Carex oshimensis, Carex morrowii or Carex hachijoensis.

‘Evergold’ is said to have originated on forested rocky slopes at mid elevations on the island of Honshu which is part of Japan’s volcanic Izu Islands.  Honshu is the location of Mt. Fuji.

This cultivar has been in the nursery trade in the United States for at least 35 years and is still quite popular.  ‘Evergold’ is hardy from USDA Zones 5-8.

PLANT DESCRIPTION:  Carex ‘Evergold’ forms handsome tussocks of fine textured weeping foliage. 

Blades are narrow and about 1/8” wide and 15” long.  The leathery foliage has a striking yellow color and green edges. 

In spring insignificant brownish flower spikes appear followed by clusters of brown seed.

‘Evergold’ averages 12” height and 18” spread. Plants have evergreen foliage in mild climates and are semi-evergreen further north.

CULTURAL & MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Carex ‘Evergold’ prospers in dappled sun or partly shaded sites with moist fertile well drained soil. 

Plants tolerate dry shade and clay.  In sunny sites, this cultivar fares best if soil is consistently moist.  In full shade, plants tend to languish and have less attractive more chartreuse leaf color.

This is a cool season sedge that does much of its growing during chilly weather.  Mulch should be applied to protect roots from cold and help conserve water in summer.  Plants should be groomed in late winter to remove tattered foliage and make way for new foliage.

This sedge is pest resistant and fairly unpalatable to deer and other herbivores.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Carex ‘Evergold’ is a striking individual often used as an Accent or in Containers.  The foliage is lovely when planted at the edge of a Water Garden and observed in reflection. This sedge is an appropriate component of a Groundcover, Deer Resistant Planting, Perennial Border, Rock Garden or Shade Garden. 

COMPANION & UNDERSTUDY PLANTS:  Try pairing Carex ‘Evergold’ with Heuchera americana 'Dales Strain', Iris cristata, Phlox divaricata, Viola walteri 'Silver Gem', Spigelia marilandica or Polystichum acrostichoides.

Carex comans ‘Frosted Curls’ is another exotic sedge with colorful foliage that can be substituted if needed.

TRIVIA:   There are several synonyms for Carex ‘Evergold’ including: Carex oshimensis 'Evergold', Carex morrowii ‘Evergold’ and Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold’.  This variety has also been listed by the cultivar names 'Aureo-variegata', 'Everbrite' 'Old Gold', and 'Variegata'.

Fitzgerald Nurseries in Ireland has developed a series of Evercolor™ Carex cultivars that are mutations of ‘Evergold’.  The series includes: ‘Everdi’, Everest, ‘Everillo’, ‘Everlime’, ‘Everoro’, and ‘Eversheen’.

Carex spp. is a large genus containing over 1500 species and numerous cultivars of these species.  The study of Carex is known as caricology.

Carex ‘Evergold’ received the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 1993.