The Cyperus papyrus grows in a clump of rhizomes, and the root ball should be fairly contained. Dig out the roots of the plant and brush off the excess soil. Dividing the root ball makes the plant more vigorous.Ĭut the plant back in the autumn when the culms begin to turn yellow and die. Potting and repotting: Divide the root ball of container-grown papyrus plants. Only fertilize when watering to avoid fertilizer burn. Watering: Very high moisture needs suitable for bogs and water gardensįeeding: Feed monthly spring through fall with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half. Temperature: Papyrus ranges from subtropical to tropical desert to wet forests, tolerating annual temperatures of 20 C (68F) to 30 C (86F) and a pH of 6.0 to 8.5. Light: They need full sun but also need to be sheltered from strong winds t0 maintain its foll and lush appearance, and for best effect should be allowed to form a large colony. One requirement for optimum growth is a full sun exposure, which keeps the tall stems stiff and rigid. It is sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, but can be brought indoors and grown easily in the winter.Īn unbelievably fast grower, small plants in spring. Grown outside of those areas, it needs to be treated like an annual or half-hardy perennial. While papyrus is a perennial, good for zones 9-11, it can tolerate zone 8 with proper care. As in most sedges, pollination is effected by wind, not insects, and the mature fruits after release are distributed by wind and water. In turn, the 'feather-duster' flowering heads of papyrus make ideal nesting sites for many social species of birds. Interestingly, in the Okavango at least, the plants have been observed to colonize the channels that are cleared by hippopotamus through the dense swamp vegetation. In its natural habitat Cyperus papyrus occurs in large, dense populations, often lining bodies of water such as in the Okavango Swamps of Botswana. Botanically these represent reduced leaves, so strictly it is not quite correct to call this plant fully "leafless". The younger parts of the rhizome are covered by red-brown, papery, triangular scales, which also cover the base of the culms. Greenish-brown flower clusters eventually appear at the ends of the rays, giving way to brown, nut-like fruits. Each stem is topped by a dense cluster of thin, bright green, thread-like stems around 10 to 30 cm (4 to 10 in) in length, resembling a feather duster when the plant is young. ![]() It forms a grass-like clump of triangular green stems that rise up from thick, woody rhizomes. So if you are using it in a pond it is advisable to plant in a pot rather than directly in the pond that way its stays contained.Ĭan’t wait for these baby blooms to grow big.Description: This tall, robust, leafless aquatic plant can grow 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) high.
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