Evergreen notes are designed to evolve and accumulate value over time, rather than being written once and forgotten. Unlike transient notes — quick captures that lose relevance — evergreen notes are revisited, refined, and connected to new thinking as it develops.
The idea was coined by Andy Matuschak, who observed that most note-taking defaults to the transient kind: jotting things down in the moment with no intention to return. Evergreen notes push against that by demanding a practice of ongoing revision. Each note becomes a living artefact that improves with continued attention.