![]() Papyrus is a versatile annual in areas of the country where winter temperatures fall below 35 degrees and a tender perennial in areas that have warmer than normal winters, dying back to the ground and reappearing in spring. In Zones 3-9 treat it like an annual, as it's fast growing habit won’t make you wait long for its tall lacy spikelets to appear. Native to Africa, this heat loving, moisture loving grass-like perennial thrives in Zone 10a through 11b. Sometimes called Niles grass or paper reed, papyrus has been used for millennia as a source for paper-like writing material. With triangular green stems and pendulous umbels of greenish flower spikelets, papyrus is a showy bog or water garden feature and can be planted out in very moist areas of your garden that do not support other plants. ![]() Unique showy plant perfect for wet areas!Īlthough not actually a grass, King Tut Papyrus falls in the category of grass-like plants and behaves similar to grass in the garden.Use as a thriller when using in containers.The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Gary Bachman is an Extension and research professor of horticulture at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi and hosts Southern Gardening television and radio programs. Home gardeners find the plant’s growth rate and unique texture worth the annual investment.ĭr. But even if your papyruses don’t come back the next spring, you can buy one or two each year and treat them as annuals. Further north, in Mississippi zones 8 and 9, papyrus usually dies back to the ground in cold weather and returns the next year.Įven in zone 7, regrowth can occur, especially if the plant is heavily mulched after cold weather sets in. You can consider these papyrus varieties perennials in areas where winter temperatures remain above 35 degrees. Papyrus plants generally don’t handle extended freezing temperatures very well. It is best to keep the soil moist, but once established, these plants are surprisingly tolerant of dry conditions. King Tut, Prince Tut and Baby Tut also do well when planted in normal landscape beds. ![]() A neat idea is to plant your papyrus in a container with the bottom holes plugged, keeping the root ball wet and happy. Papyrus plants love to be planted where the root ball stays really moist, like along the edge of a pond or in a rain garden. The flower clusters appear at the ends of these rays. There is also an even smaller papyrus choice called Baby Tut, which stands less than 2 feet tall and would be fantastic in a container on the porch or patio.Īll three papyrus selections feature triangular green stems topped by an umbrella-like inflorescence made of hundreds of thread-like rays. I find it is perfect for displaying the 3-foot plant. I grow Prince Tut in my landscape in a large terra cotta container. Prince Tut is a fun plant and will not overwhelm a smaller space. But if you want that exotic look in your landscape, there are other, smaller options among the papyrus varieties. If you have a small growing space, then King Tut may just be too big. Its dramatic appearance makes for a great conversation about its connection to the distant past. King Tut is a member of the same papyrus family of plants that the ancient Egyptians used to make paper. This grass-like plant growing in Mississippi State University’s trial garden can easily grow to 6 feet tall, and it has a striking presence in the landscape. At the 43rd annual Ornamental Field Day at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, one plant that drew a lot of attention was the exotic-looking King Tut papyrus.
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