Carex elata 'Aurea' Care Guide
Carex elata 'Aurea' (Bowles's Golden Sedge) is a tussock-forming golden sedge for pond margins and bog gardens.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Carex elata 'Aurea', commonly called Bowles's Golden Sedge, is a golden-leaved cultivar of the tufted sedge. The species is a tussock-forming evergreen perennial of nutrient-rich wetlands. The cultivar is prized for bright gold foliage with green margins and has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is used along pond margins and in bog gardens for strong contrast.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyperaceae
- Genus: Carex
- Scientific name: Carex elata 'Aurea'
- Common synonyms: Bowles Golden Sedge
Habitat
The parent species is native to Europe, North Africa (Atlas Mountains), Turkey, Iran and Central Asia, growing in marshes, fens, wet woods and shallow water margins. It forms dense tussocks and reaches around 1.2 m tall and 1.5 m wide as a clump, blooming from May to June. The species is classed Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Tank requirements
- Placement: background / margin, emersed growth
- Temperature: 5-24 °C (41-75 °F)
- pH: 6.0-8.0
- GH: 4-20 °dGH
- Lighting: high
- CO2: not required
- Mature height: up to about 60 cm in cultivation
Growth and propagation
This is a medium-growing tussock sedge propagated by division of established clumps. The golden colouration is strongest in good light. As a marginal it is grown emersed at the water's edge rather than submerged in an aquarium.
Propagating Carex elata 'Aurea' (Bowles's Golden Sedge)
Overview
Carex elata 'Aurea', Bowles's Golden sedge, is a tussock-forming evergreen perennial reaching about 1.2 m tall by 1.5 m wide. Its bright gold blades with fine green margins make it a striking accent for pond margins. The cultivar holds the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Propagation Method
Because the sedge grows as a dense tussock, it is propagated vegetatively by clump (rhizome) division: an established clump is lifted and split into smaller rooted sections, each of which grows on into a new plant. This keeps the golden colour true to the parent, which seed-raised plants may not.
Step-by-Step
- Lift an established, vigorous tussock from its boggy or waterside position.
- Shake or wash off enough soil to see the crowded crowns and roots.
- Pull or cut the clump into sections, each with several leaf bases and a good share of roots.
- Trim away any dead or rotten material from the centre of an old clump.
- Replant divisions immediately into wet, nutrient-rich ground at the same depth and keep them constantly moist.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Bowles's Golden sedge thrives in nutrient-rich wetland conditions such as marshes, fens, wet woods and shallow water margins. Give it consistently moist to boggy soil and bright light to keep the foliage a strong gold rather than fading toward green.
Maintenance
Comb or cut out dead blades to keep the tussock tidy and golden. As clumps age the centre can become congested or bare, so lift and divide them every few years to rejuvenate growth and produce new plants at the same time. It flowers from May to June with seed ripening July to August.
Common Challenges
- Foliage fading toward green in shade rather than holding its gold colour.
- Decline if the soil dries out, since it needs constantly wet, nutrient-rich ground.
- Bare, woody clump centres on old plants that have not been divided.
- Loss of plants if grown fully submerged, which this marginal sedge will not tolerate.