Cyperus papyrusPapyrus

The Cyperus papyrus needs no introduction in the region it came from. Papyrus is the tall sedge of the Nile and the African wetlands, sending leafless triangular culms three to five metres out of the water, each one topped by a radiating burst of thread-fine rays that reads as a green firework against the sky.

It is specified for lake edges, constructed wetlands and formal water features, where it delivers height at the waterline and takes up nutrient from the water as it grows.

Specifications

• Height3 to 5 metres
• Width1 to 2 metres per clump, spreading steadily by rhizome
• Native toWetlands of tropical and northern Africa, including the Nile valley
• FoliageLeafless triangular green culms topped by a dense umbel of thread-like rays; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers saturated mud and silt at pond and lake margins; grows in shallow standing water
• LightFull sun to light shade
• WaterHigh; requires permanently wet ground or shallow submersion
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FormTall triangular culms carrying arching umbels well above the water line
• UsesIdeal for lake and pond margins, constructed wetlands, formal water features and biofiltration beds
• SpacingPlant 1 to 1.5 metres apart for a continuous stand
• Low MaintenanceCut spent culms at the base; thin the rhizome mass where the stand crowds its bed
• Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free in suitable conditions
• Environmental BenefitsStrips nutrient from water and is widely used in constructed treatment wetlands
• Cultural SignificanceThe papyrus of ancient Egypt, from which the first paper was made

Papyrus gives a water feature genuine height and a cultural weight that no other marginal planting carries.