Most of the Carex species and cultivars prefer full sun exposure, but have found that they will tolerate patial, in some cases full shade. I have the following in full shade, under Magnolia grandiflora trees:
Carex morrowii 'Aureovariegata'
Carex conica
Carex phyllocephala "Sparkler' This is a semi-hardy cultivar that has to be protected below 15*F
Once grew Carex buchannii, but didn't like the color exhibited in the shade.After the plants become astablished, their moisture needs are not any greater than the other plants around them.(Azalea, Hosta, Ferns, Tricyrtis, Helleborus, Hydrangea, etc)
You can sometimes find small plugs of Carex at HD & Lowes, but this is Pansy season, so they may not have any in stock now. Haven't been to either lately. Saul's usually has 4-5 different species, but didn't see any last trip there. May only be available in Spring.
Rb

I jumped with both feet onto the Carex bandwagon several years ago.

I planted the following with dates in parentheses:
C. morrowii 'Ice Dance'(Nov.98), 'Evergold'(Jan.99), 'Silver Sceptre'(Oct.01)
C. buchananii(Dec.98)
C. comans 'Frosty Curls'(Oct.01)
C. dolichostachya 'Kaga-nishiki'(Oct.01)
C. flaccosperma(Oct.01)
C. phyllocephala 'Sparkler'(Nov.98)

I was just looking at my C. phyllocephala 'Sparkler' the other day and thinking how much my opinion has changed. It looks ratty now, and I have a LOT of green leafed seedlings too. 'Ice Dance', 'Kaga-nishiki', 'Frosty Curls' and buchananii all died. Flaccosperma is just like 'Sparkler' in spitting out little ones. The best of the bunch are 'Evergold' and 'Silver Sceptre', with Evergold my personal favorite. I have it underneath, but on the western side of large Cedar(J. virginiana)It has been a wonderful clump of variegated foliage that has remained untarnished by time or elements. SS is nice, but it is a very aggressive spreader akin to Liriope spicata.

I wasn't sure if I had taken a picture of Evergold since I switched photo hosting sites, but I discovered I did. Here it is earlier this year...

Here is a link that might be useful:

Thanks so much for all the information! I have two large beds that will be built against our deck. They will recieve more light, so this might be the best place for carex. I plan to grow it from seed. Am trying not to buy actual plants very often now...your listings give me an excellent guide to choose from. Love that sparkler but I did notice the enthusiasm for the plant wained about a year after it was mentioned a lot...I figured there must be a reason...

GGG

GGG
Here's a couple of others that have been available in the Atl market area for several years and should do OK for you: Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' & C.o. 'Gold Strike'
Rb

i think i have just been talked out of carex. have been wanting to try it in my bright wooded area but it sounds like they either may not perform well or look good in our hot climate or become hard to control (now those are two opposite ends of the spectrum!).
alan, i have a plant someone gave me that looks a lot like the one in your photo, sort of like little spruce trees sprouting at the base of your carex. i believe it is a sedum. do you have that in a shaded area? mine is in half sun and is rather sparse. the one that my start came from is in full sun and very blue and dense.

"Sedum Blue Spruce" - I have mine growing up through hardy iceplant because it seems to be sparse.

GGG

Carex morrowii variegated form is possibly my favorite plant. It looks great all year doesn't make babies and just slowly increases in volume. The wider leafed carex do well in shade. In fact they need shade, Carex siderostrica makes a beautiful variegated area in full shade. I LOVE Carex give it a try!

There are a number of native carex that require shade, such as C. flaccosperma, C. nigra, C. platyphylla, C. pensylvanica, C. rigida, C. digitalis, C. plantaginea and many others. All these are found in the SE US, with many occuring in GA. Flaccosperma, rigida and pensylvanica occur here in middle TN in relatively dry deciduous shade.

Every one of these species is a good looking, garden worthy plant. C. pensylvanica is a particularly nice groundcover, as it has a running habit and an extremely fine texture.

Soeur

GGG, I started some Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster' seeds this morning - winter sowing. The packet said germination can be spread out over 3 years - so I guess that means don't give up on your seeds if they don't germinate any time soon. No wonder carex costs so much as a gallon plant.
I'm going to be bummed in 2010 if I find out I spent 3 years germinating a plant that only lives one year in our climate. Somewhere the gods of nature are laughing already. Might as well laugh with them.

Sugarhill, I grow all sorts of plants that can take years to germinate, and may or may not live where I plant them :0

Gardenrs are a crazy bunch!!

I planted a dozen C. Flaccosperma on a shady slope after figuring out that was probably the species that had started growing there on its own. It has been promoted as a good native alternative to liriope. I was surprised by how unkempt the plants looked when they put up tall seed stalks in the spring. Since I don’t want them reseeding in the neighbor’s yard downhill I cut off all the stalks, which took quite a while. They look better now though still not as tidy as clumping liriope would.