If you don’t know sedges, then you’re missing out on one of the best plants to grow in Indiana in the shaded or woodland garden. Not just because it’s deer resistant, although that reason alone would be proof of its superior value in the landscape. Sedges are also usually very easy to grow. They blend well with many other shade-loving plants, perennial and annual, with their thin leaves and mounding habit (although a few are upright).

It’s when a sedge comes in a variegated form that it really gets my attention. The white, silver or yellow hues add still more pizzazz to the shady border, lasting all spring and summer and often staying almost evergreen into winter.

One excellent new cultivar is ‘Everest’, a white sport of the much-loved gold Japanese sedge (Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’). It usually grows quickly to 1 foot or so in height, with a wide mounding spread that is about 2 feet across. It grows well in fertile, moist well-drained soil and prefers at least part shade. Place it next to hostas or ferns in the woodland and watch everyone shine the brighter for it.

‘Everest’ weeping sedge is a great brightener for shade gardens.

Common Name: ‘Everest’ weeping sedge

Botanical Name: Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’

Color: White-edged leaves, flowers not remarkable

Type: Perennial

Size: Grows about 1 foot tall in a mounding clump of about 2 feet wide

Exposure: Part sun to full shade

When to Plant: In spring as soon as possible

How to Plant: Soil flush with crown of plant

Soil: Regular garden soil

Watering: Moist well-drained soil

When to Prune: Trim back spent foliage in spring for new growth to appear.

When to Fertilize: Standard fertilizer once a month during spring and summer

In Your Landscape: Excellent as an edging or accent plant in the shade or woodland garden. It is a perfect partner for hosta and ferns. It is deer resistant but well-loved by field mice.