Carex 'Gold Fountains'

Carex 'Gold Fountains': Gilded Blades That Brighten the Gloom

Narrow green blades with fine golden edges spill out like a little fountain somebody filled with champagne. 'Gold Fountains' is low, graceful and happy almost anywhere you plunk it. TOSS IN A COIN AND MAKE A WISH.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Carex dolichostachya 'Kaga Nishiki', sold as Gold Fountains
• Common Name: Sedge
• Height: 20–30 cm (8–12 in)
• Spread: 30–60 cm (12–24 in)
• Flowers: Small, brown, inconspicuous spikes; grown for its foliage
• Bloom Time: Spring (May)
• Foliage: Narrow, arching green leaves with fine golden yellow margins; semi-evergreen
• Features: Tolerates wet soil

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a woodland path, in a rain garden, or in containers. Massed in a group, it reads as a soft gold ribbon, and it's especially handy near a dark fence where a little brightness goes a long way. It stays low, so it never blocks the view of what's planted behind it.

Companion Plants: Use the gold-edged fountains of this sedge at the front of a moist bed in shade or part sun. Arisaema triphyllum adds hooded Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers at 30 to 60 cm from April to June. Iris 'Miss Apple' opens red and yellow Siberian iris at 75 cm in May and June. Heuchera Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' brings dark cherry foliage at 20 to 25 cm. Persicaria 'Firetail' adds crimson bottlebrush spikes at 90 to 120 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant it in rich, moist, well-drained soil. It tolerates wet spots and can take full sun only where the soil stays moist. In drier sites, give it part to full shade. Don't cut it back hard. It grows slowly and is slow to recover. In early spring, simply pull or snip out any dead or winter-damaged leaves. It rarely needs dividing. If you want more plants, divide it carefully in spring.

History: Carex dolichostachya is native to eastern Asia, from Japan south to the Philippines, and its name means "long spike." 'Kaga Nishiki' is a Japanese selection usually sold in North America as Gold Fountains.

Final Thoughts: Sun, shade, wet soil, no problem, and the deer move along. Edge a path with a row of them. THE ONLY FOUNTAIN WITH NO PLUMBER.