<em>Papyrus</em>, <em>Cyperus</em>: planting and care

Description and botany

Genus Cyperus comprises more than 600 species distributed in almost all wet habitats worldwide except the coldest. They can be annual or evergreen perennials, some being highly feared adventive in agriculture and horticulture such as Cyperus rotundus, native to India and extremely invasive. The most spectacular species by height and size of its inflorescences remains Cyperus papyrus, symbol of rebirth in ancient Egypt and of Lower Egypt, corresponding to the marshy area of the Nile delta. New, more compact cultivars such as ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Akhenaton’ have the advantage of breaking less in the wind and suit container culture better.

Cyperus gave its name to the family to which it belongs: Cyperaceae. They form large clumps of thick, cylindrical or triangular stems — up to 3 cm wide at the base in Cyperus papyrus — reaching heights varying from 1.50 to 5 m in the Egyptian papyrus (Cyperus papyrus). The stems bear narrow gramineous leaves arising from the base as in Cyperus albostriatus or are entirely absent as in Nile papyrus. Some species are deciduous, disappearing in winter like Cyperus longus or glaber, while others such as C. alternifolius and C. papyrus persist if temperatures remain mild. In the latter, the plant bears no leaves but unfurls, at the top of the canes, huge tufts of very fine bracts forming a feathery-looking sphere. Cyperus possess rootstocks which allow fairly rapid extension of the plant and ease multiplication. All their aerial organs are chlorophyllous, compensating for absence of leaves where necessary.

Inflorescences, highly decorative for their graphic structure, form flat (in a whorl) or spherical umbels of bracts, up to 25 cm in diameter. These bracts are thread-like on Nile papyrus while forming blades 0.5 to 1 cm wide on Cyperus involucratus (syn. alternifolius) or albostriatus. Fine feathery spikes, yellowish or pale green, made up of rather insignificant hermaphrodite flowers, arise from the centre of the umbel and make the bracts’ glossy intense green shimmer.

At maturity, flowers turn brown during summer, releasing seeds dispersed by wind. Nile papyrus reproduces by seed dispersal and vegetatively, by lateral growth of its rootstocks in the mud, forming thick thickets along the banks that can reach 5 m in height and which only large animals such as hippopotamuses are likely to cross. Today, this emblematic species has almost disappeared from the Nile delta due to flood control and the many infrastructures lining the river (dams and riverbank developments). Species with flat umbels, for their part, produce roots from the “heads” as soon as these come into contact with water.

Cyperus are very easy plants to grow indoors and have the advantage of helping to purify indoor air in confined atmospheres. They also help humidify dry indoor air when a room is heated.

Main papyrus varieties

Frost-tender varieties

Hardy varieties

Cyperus alternifolius - Umbrella Papyrus

Madagascar umbrella plant is more resilient and less demanding in terms of humidity than its famous Egyptian cousin. Less imposing and with a more hardy appearance, its long stems are topped by stiffer star-shaped tufts. Much easier to grow indoors in a container set in a shallow tray of water. Not very hardy: it dies below -4°C; stump tolerates -8°C.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 1 m

See the product sheet

Cyperus papyrus - Papyrus

Very attractive perennial plant from wet habitats, both exuberant and majestic but not very hardy, with long stems topped by huge tufts of fine branches. Can also be used as an indoor plant: to grow in ordinary soil in a container set in a shallow tray of water and in a humid atmosphere.

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 2 m

See the product sheet

Cyperus papyrus Cleopatra - Papyrus

Dwarf form of Papyrus of the Nile, this variety hardly exceeds 50 cm in height. Often grown as an annual but can be kept frost-free in a pot placed in a bucket of water.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Cyperus papyrus Akhenaton

Slightly more vigorous variety than Cleopatra, reaching 70 cm; to be grown as an annual or as a houseplant.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 75 cm

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Cyperus longus

Rhizomatous perennial of banks with small brownish flowers borne on stiff upright stalks, accompanied by foliage turning orange in autumn.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the product sheet

Cyperus glaber

The Glabrous sedge, like papyrus but hardier, is a plant that loves water. It produces attractive flowering in large spherical greenish heads from July to September. Ideal at pond edge, it also makes a very attractive patio plant, easy to grow in ordinary soil in a container set in a shallow tray of water.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Planting

Where to plant Papyrus?

Plant Cyperus preferably in full sun. Their growth will be reduced in partial shade. Prefer planting on the banks of a pond to ensure permanent moisture for the roots. All types of fairly rich soil suit them.

For Cyperus papyrus (Papyrus of the Nile) and alternifolius (umbrella plant), the submerged stump can survive if temperatures do not fall too low in winter (-6 to -8°C if soil is well drained for C. alternifolius), and the plant can regenerate the following spring. In regions away from the coast, it is essential to grow them in pots to bring indoors before the first frosts into a bright room. The umbrella plant tolerates the dry indoor atmosphere better than Papyrus of the Nile. Species glaber and longus tolerate down to -15°C without problem.

→ Learn more about growing Papyrus in pots

When to plant?

• Prefer spring to install papyrus outdoors.
• Wait until after the last frosts before putting the pot outside.

How to plant?

To plant in a pot, make a mix of potting compost and clayey or silty garden soil.

Choose a container large enough to allow the clump to expand, which happens quickly during the season.

Do not bury the rootball deeper than it was in its pot, but you can vary the water level above it by fully immersing the pot in water with 5 to 10 cm of water above it, or simply immersing the base of the container.

If you do not immerse the pot in a pond, place a deep saucer constantly filled with water under the pot.

• Be careful how you expose a plant coming out of a greenhouse or house. Acclimatise gradually to avoid burning foliage when moved out after winter.
• Consider dividing your papyrus when it becomes too large, and give divisions to friends and neighbours.
• Watch for the appearance of whiteflies or red spider mites indoors. These parasitic pests develop in dry, warm atmospheres.
• In open ground, work the soil well over at least 50 cm diameter.
• Enrich your soil if poor with potting compost or garden compost.
• Mulch generously with gravel or grass clippings to retain freshness.

Care

• Ensure soil remains consistently cool even if you do not let water stand in the saucer.
• From April to late September, apply to plants kept on a terrace or indoors, a liquid Green Plants fertiliser twice a month.
• Cut back dry stems in November or before growth starts.
• Bring plant indoors or cover stump with a thick layer of mulch depending on species’ tolerance to cold.

Propagation: divide, take a cutting from papyrus

Stump division between spring and summer is the easiest way to propagate papyrus. You can also propagate stem tips of Cyperus species other than Nile papyrus.

Propagation by cuttings (head cuttings)

• Cut heads with a 10 cm length of stem attached.
• Let these heads float upside down in water until roots appear.
• Then plant the roots in soil. A new shoot will form.

→ Learn more in our tutorial : Propagating papyrus

Stump division

• Remove the clump from its pot.
• Separate a portion of the clump or just a stem with a piece of rootstock attached.
• Replant immediately in soil.

→ Learn more in our tutorial How to divide a papyrus or Cyperus?

Uses and plant associations

Papyrus, wonderful marginal plant for very mild climates, is also a very handsome species for the terrace, fairly easy to grow provided soil in which it is planted remains constantly moist. It will be splendid around a small above-ground pond installed on the terrace for example, alongside Rhodocoma gigantea, another magnificent restio, but also with Japanese maples in semi-shade or with agapanthus in full sun. These luxuriant perennials will charm lovers of striking plants, thanks to their bamboo-like silhouette, forming a monumental tuft of large plumes. Imperial when grown alone, their association in ground or in pots with cannas with purple or green foliage, bamboos, Nandinas, Dieramas or angel’s fishing rods, persicarias or even a Gomphostigma virgatum will create a scene of great beauty.

An idea for a combination in a large half-barrel or a small pond: Cyperus papyrus (‘Akhenaton’ or ‘Cleopatra’), Colocasia madeira and Nymphea ‘Attraction’

Eurasian species Cyperus longus or sweet-scented sedge is well suited to ponds and lakes to provide shelter and spawning sites for wild pheasants, moorhens and some visiting ducks. It spreads fairly rapidly by means of its short rootstocks and can occupy an area of 2 to 3 m² in a short time. It is therefore best reserved for large wild-looking gardens to which it will bring a lovely orange glow in autumn. Its very dense growth has the advantage of smothering all weeds.

Small ponds can accommodate Cyperus glaber or alternifolius, if climate allows, for their graphic effect which pairs well with Japanese horsetails but also with marginal perennials such as Virginia ephemerals, Astilbes or primroses, or with stream sedges. These two Cyperus, by virtue of their vertical forms and their stiff stems, are also appreciated in large pots to adorn a terrace or accompany steps of a staircase.

→ Discover more pairing ideas with Cyperus papyrus in our advice sheet !