Bowles Golden Gold Sedge - 72-Cell Plug Tray

Bowles Golden is a tall, bright sedge with golden yellow leaves edged in a thin line of green. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall, larger than most sedges, and lights up shady or damp corners like a patch of sun.

This is a true moisture lover that thrives in wet soil and even in shallow standing water up to about 2 inches deep, making it ideal around ponds, streams and rain gardens. It looks especially good next to blue-leaved hostas, and deer usually pass it by.

What it looks like

Long, narrow, grass-like leaves about ¼ inch wide are bright golden yellow with a very thin green edge. They grow upright from the base and arch gracefully at the tips, forming a loose, fountain-shaped clump 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Small, dark brown flower spikes appear briefly in spring among the leaves. Through summer the plant is a glowing, arching mound of gold, most vivid in bright shade near water.

Growing it with lavender

Bowles Golden needs constantly wet soil and part shade, so plant it beside a pond, in a rain garden or in a damp, shady bed far from the dry lavender rows.

Care

Plant in part shade in fertile soil that stays constantly moist or wet; it can grow in up to about 2 inches of standing water. Hardy in zones 5 to 8. Comb or cut out old leaves in early spring.

At a glance

• Botanical name: Carex elata
• Flower color: Insignificant
• Foliage: Bright golden yellow with thin green margins
• Growth habit: Arching, fountain-like clump
• Mature size: 24–36 in tall × 24–36 in wide
• USDA hardiness zones: 5–8
• Light: part sun to part shade
• Deer resistance: Resistant
• Pollinator value: Low

Sizes and shipping

One full 72-cell plug tray: 72 young starter plugs of this variety (cells about 1⅓ in. wide × 2½ in. deep), rooted and ready to pot up into quarts or gallons. Best for growers and nurseries. Potted plants and plug trays ship during our live-plant seasons, March 1–May 31 and October 1–November 30; June through September is local pickup only. Plugs, potted plants and trays do not ship to AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT or WA.

Shipping note: Moisture-loving bog sedge; keep the root ball wet on arrival and plant promptly in constantly moist soil.