Graceful Grasses® King Tut® Egyptian Papyrus

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

4-6 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Although not actually a grass, King Tut Papyrus falls in the category of grass-like plants and behaves similar to grass in the garden. 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. Sometimes called Niles grass or paper reed, papyrus has been used for millennia as a source for paper-like writing material.

Native to Africa, this heat loving, moisture loving grass-like perennial thrives in Zone 10a through 11b. 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. 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.

Graceful Grasses King Tut Egyptian Papyrus Care

Water, water, water! This plant loves water, in fact, it thrives in bog and water gardens with proper placement and care. Plant it in the water garden, being careful not to submerge the entire crown of the root in the water. In fact, it performs best in just inches of water. Do not allow it to freeze as that will spell the end of your papyrus. If planted in containers, use ones without holes for drainage to retain as much water as possible. Papyrus makes an incredible specimen plant in a fancy decorated ceramic pot.

No deadheading or pruning is needed as this plant keeps its shape gracefully. Old spikelets will dry out adding visual interest, and new ones will appear quickly. In the water garden papyrus can form free floating clumps adding to its appeal as a specimen plant. In its native habitat it can form dense mats and serves as a water purifier.

You can overwinter the plants, but it takes quite a bit of care and work to do so. And the plants still go dormant in the winter, so its a lot of work without a lot of reward (besides not having to buy them each year, which is really nice).

To overwinter the plants, make sure they get a lot of sunlight from a south facing window or a grow light. The plants will need to maintain quite a bit of moisture, so we recommend the container has great drainage but sits on top of a 2nd container (like a small kids pool) that is filled with water so the moisture remains constant for the plant. Do not fertilize in the winter either. Last, try to keep the plant between 60 and 65 degrees for the best chances of survival.

Graceful Grasses King Tut Egyptian Papyrus Spacing

Growing up to 48 to 72 inches tall and 36 to 48 inches tall, papyrus can quickly take over a small space. Allow 36 to 48 inches of space between plantings to give it plenty of room. If you would like to preserve your papyrus from one season to another in cold regions, move the container into a warm well-lit room in the house. Dividing the root is easy, a sharp knife and judicious division of the root ball will yield several viable plants for the next season, although it will reduce some of the plants vigor.

SKU:

CYPKY