Description of Cyperus papyrus (Egyptian Paper Rush)

Cyperus papyrus is Egyptian papyrus, a bold marginal grown for tall stems topped with umbrella heads. It gives a strong exotic look on pond shelves and in wet containers, but it needs warmth and constant water to look its best in the UK.

Appearance

It forms clumps of tall stems topped with radiating green bracts. In a good summer it can reach 1.5 to 2m or more in containers. The silhouette is the main feature and reads well from a distance.

Care Guide

Keep it permanently wet and feed it in summer. In cool gardens it grows more slowly, so placing it in the warmest sheltered spot helps.

• Sun: Full sun to light shade. Sun gives the strongest growth.
• Soil: Aquatic compost in a large pot, topped with gravel.
• Water: Keep the pot permanently wet, ideally sitting in shallow water.
• Feeding: Aquatic fertiliser tablets or regular feeding in summer helps.
• Overwintering: Protect from hard frost, especially in containers.

If you bring it under cover, keep the compost wet through winter. A dry pot can kill the crown.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens when you have a pond shelf or a deep wet container zone. It is best used as a focal point rather than mixed into tight planting, as the umbrella heads need space.

In liner bogs, it often does better kept in a separate pot sunk into the wettest corner.

FAQ