The Egyptians appreciated papyrus thousands of years ago. Found wild along the banks of the Nile River, it is the rare green swath in an otherwise hot, dry, dusty-beige climate. It was depicted in art and architecture, given religious and social significance and used to make a multitude of products. The most significant of them historically was to create the paper-like material used for scrolls. Some of the world’s earliest written records are preserved on ancient papyrus pith.
The genus Cyperus includes many species and cultivated forms; most are tender perennials. In the sedge family, they grow best in wet conditions and are lovely in ponds or damp bogs as annuals.
They all require constant moisture and grow best in non-draining pots or pools with water over the crown at all times. (Note: To prevent mosquitoes, add Mosquito Dunks or granules to each pot.)
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Easy to propagate, they can be grown from divisions or sprouted from heads that fall into water. I clip off aging stems, trim the leaves (filaments) to about 1.5 inches, place them upside down in water and wait. Sprouts appear in about two weeks. This is a fun plant from which children can learn about gardening.
Cyperus papyrus, the Egyptian paper plant, is the traditional species used for papermaking. In containers, it may reach 6 feet in height, but in the wild, it may be twice that size. Easily battered by wind, Missouri growers should choose a sheltered, full-sun location, such as next to a wall or in a courtyard.
“King Tut,” from Proven Winners, is a durable clone of moderate size, from 4 to 6 feet tall. “Prince Tut” is half that size and more wind resistant. “Queen Tut” is the smallest papyrus in this series and makes an excellent container plant with other moisture-loving flowers. “Nile Princess” is a miniature long-filamented cultivar that grows to about 2 feet tall. Similar in size is the “Crown of Pharaoh,” with short filaments instead of long ones, for a clipped look.
Cyperus haspan, another dwarf papyrus, reaches 3 feet and the heads are crowned with brown tufts of flowers, giving it more substance. Cyperus percamenthus is sometimes called compact giant papyrus and grows to 20 inches. One of my personal favorites is the dwarf umbrella palm (Cyperus alternifolius var. gracilis). Like the other sedges, it prefers to be constantly wet. Mine grows in my sunroom all winter, then spends the summer outside on the deck. Instead of the thin, filamentous leaves on the heads of paper plants, this one has wider blades, like grass, that look like little umbrellas.
Many varieties are available in St. Louis. I’ve seen umbrella palms tucked into mixed planters and true papyrus at the pond plant store. While many are available on the internet, I’d rather pick my own out in person. Given plenty of sun and water, these easy and tough plants are perfect for creating a beautiful oasis of green in the swelter of our Missouri summers.