Native to Europe, central Asia, and North Africa, Carex elata is a tufted sedge of wetland margins and boggy ground, at home in places most ornamentals refuse to tolerate. The cultivar 'Bowles' Golden' is the plant that put this species on the gardening map: clumps reaching up to three feet, the foliage a warm, saturated gold that holds through the growing season. It is especially good planted at the edge of a pond or stream, where the color reflects back off the water on bright mornings.

This is not a plant for the dry border. It needs moisture at all times — it will even stand in up to two inches of standing water — and should never be allowed to dry out. Full sun works well in reliably wet conditions; partial shade suits drier spots. Within those limits it is robust and low-maintenance, spreading steadily into substantial drifts that suppress weeds and provide year-round structure. In the rain garden or a large shady border planted in generous sweeps, it is one of the most useful golden-foliaged plants the temperate garden offers.