With their palm-like fronds, cypress grasses are a very decorative feature in rooms and patios. We have put together for you what makes the marsh plant so special and the many different ways in which you can cultivate it.

Cyprus grass is at home practically everywhere

Table of Contents

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  1. origin
  2. growth
  3. leaves
  4. blossom
  5. Which location is suitable?
  6. hardy
  7. houseplant
  8. Water Cyprus grass
  9. Brown tips
  10. repot
  11. Fertilize Cyprus grass properly
  12. hydroponics
  13. Aquarium
  14. Cutting Cyprus grass properly
  15. Propagating Cyprus grass
  16. Is Cyprus grass poisonous?
  17. sorts

    18. origin

    The Cyperus grass plant genus, botanically Cyperus, is one of the sour grass plants and has a very wide range of distribution. They are native to temperate to subtropical and tropical areas on virtually all continents. This variety of climatic habitats can of course also be attributed to the relatively high species spectrum of around 600 variants. Most species are native to North America, followed by Far and Near Eastern, African, and Central American species. Some are also at home in Europe. In horticulture, cypress grasses are preferably kept in tubs.

    growth

    Cyprus grasses usually grow as perennials from rhizome or tuber roots, which usually form quite intensive clumps. Some species are only one to two years old. On fine, coagulated stalks, cypress grass forms long umbrella leaves, which have also given the plant the nickname water palm. The different species are between 30 and 100 cm high.

    leaves

    The grass-like, long individual leaves of the leaf umbrellas are very narrow and lanceolate with a pointed end. They are entire and green.

    blossom

    From a horticultural point of view, Cyprus grasses are definitely a decorative leaf plant. The flowers are rather inconspicuous. They appear year-round as small, yellow, tufted spikes above leaf-like bracts.

    Which location is suitable?

    Cyprus grasses prefer a sunny, bright location. The ambient temperature should be rather warm - they feel very comfortable at room temperature. In summer you can also put your cypress grass outside and create an exotic flair on the terrace. Cyprus grasses like it a little cooler in winter.

    Site requirements at a glance:

    • bright and sunny
    • Temperature rather warm - ideal room temperature, a bit cooler in winter
    • put out in summer

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    hardy

    It is true that Cyprus grasses adapt to the seasons with their vegetation behavior and need it a little cooler during the winter break with little light - but they are not frost hardy. Overwintering them outside is therefore by no means possible. Cyprus grasses do not particularly like temperatures below 10°C. In the direction of the freezing point it becomes critical at the latest.
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    houseplant

    You can easily keep a cypergrass indoors all year round. A period of fresh air over the summer is always good for it, but if you don't have a balcony, terrace or garden, you can also get a healthy, contented cypress grass indoors. However, you should pay a little more attention to sufficient watering practice and good humidity indoors. Regular spraying with the water disperser is essential, especially during the heating period.

    Water Cyprus grass

    Cyprus grasses are marsh plants. This almost eliminates the question of watering requirements. A cypergrass should always be in the water, but at least have a constantly moist root ball. You don't have to worry about waterlogging and the threat of root rot - overwatering is not possible with the cypergrass. Drought is the only risk here, which is also quickly noticeable through brown leaf tips. In winter, it doesn't have to be watered quite as intensively.

    As water, you should preferably use low-calcium water, preferably from a rain barrel.

    In addition to watering, you should always give the cypress grass a lot of moisture in the upper part of the plant - in the form of refreshing spray showers.

    Casting rules at a glance:

    • Zypergras very thirsty plant
    • never let it dry out, it is best to leave it in the water permanently
    • water a little less in winter
    • use low-lime rainwater
    • in addition to watering spray showers

    Brown tips

    Brown leaf tips are a very common phenomenon in cypergrass, which is due to its enormous water requirements. As a rule, drought is to blame for brown leaf tips - but this signal is not yet a cause for concern. Simply water more frequently and regularly and spray the cypress grass with the water disperser. The degree of dehydration is only critical when entire stalks turn brown and, in the worst case, can lead to the death of the plant.

    Irrigation water that is too calcareous can also be the cause of brown leaf tips. Use water that is as soft as possible, preferably rainwater.
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    repot

    Since Cyprus grasses grow quite quickly and tend to form a relatively large clump, repotting is necessary quite often. A new pot may well be necessary every year. It is best to do the repotting in the spring. The cypress grass is quite insensitive and usually survives the bucket change without complaint. When repotting, you can also remove old, brown stalks and give the plant an all-round freshness and rejuvenation cure. You can count on vigorous growth throughout the summer. It is best to give the cypergrass humus-rich soil in the new pot, mixed with some clay and sand.

    The repotting rules at a glance:

    • Annual repotting necessary due to strong growth and spread
    • Soil for the new pot: rich in humus, with clay and sand
    • also pick out old stems when repotting

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    Fertilize Cyprus grass properly

    You can fertilize your Zypergrass moderately throughout the vegetation phase, i.e. from early spring to September. Add some liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water every two weeks. But you should not fertilize more, otherwise unnatural growth spurts will occur, which can lead to unstable, kinking stems.

    hydroponics

    Nicknamed water palm - hardly possible to water - rapid browning of the leaf tips with minimal dryness: All these indicators suggest hydroculture for the cypergrass. This means that the swamp grass is well cared for and the cultivator has a little more peace and quiet when tending it. You can grow a cypergrass in classic hydroponics with expanded clay substrate (19.73€) in a water bath with some nutrient solution. A float provides information about the water level and provides orientation when a refill is necessary.

    But you can also put the cypress grass in any other form of hydroponics and get very creative. One possibility is, for example, a clay or glass jug filled with water, some liquid fertilizer and pebbles - the latter variant can be particularly decorative, but is only suitable for young, not yet very large offshoot specimens.

    In the garden pond, a cypress grass is not only visually very attractive, but is also well supplied with water and nutrients - here you practically do not have to worry about it at all. The downside - it doesn't survive the winter here. So you either have to laboriously dig it up in the fall and pot it up for the winter and bring it indoors, or accept the loss of the plant.
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    Aquarium

    Another possibility of hydroponics is the integration into an aquarium. Here too, as with the garden pond, you have the positive side effect that the cypress grass enriches the water world very decoratively in addition to the lower maintenance effort. The advantage over planting in the garden pond is that the cypergrass remains permanently in the warm room and you don't have to worry about overwintering.

    submerged culture

    However, only certain sedge species are suitable for submerged cultivation, i.e. culture taking place completely under water. Cyperus helferi should preferably be mentioned here. This is an Asian species with soft, pliable, slender, light green stems and leaves that sway gently with the water current. This sedge thrives best at water temperatures between 22 and 30°C, good lighting and a pH of 5 to 7.5. The planting ground should be rich in nutrients and fine-grained.

    For open aquariums

    A species that is suitable for open aquariums, in which stems and leaves can grow above the water surface, is Cyperus alternifolius. It displays quite large, medium green leaf umbrellas and thrives best in water temperatures between 17 and 28°C with a pH of 5 to 9.
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    Cutting Cyprus grass properly

    Basically, a cypress grass only has to be cut back if it has become too big for the wintering place during the vegetation phase. If space in the winter quarters is limited, you can cut the grass by about half. It will easily sprout again in the spring.

    Otherwise, only brown, dried stalks should be cut away.
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    Propagating Cyprus grass

    division

    Cyprus grasses are best propagated by dividing the root ball. This method is particularly useful because the plant has to be constantly repotted due to its tendency to form clumps - instead of always putting it in a larger pot, you can simply divide the sedge during the annual spring cure. You put one batch back in the original pot, the other you can either add to your own plant collection or give away to interested gardening friends.

    The division method is not only simple, but also promises a high success rate due to the insensitivity of the cypergrass root ball.

    seed

    You can also propagate your Zypergrass from seeds. You get a constant supply of seeds from the flowers and fruits that appear again and again throughout the year, but there are also offers that can be purchased in specialist shops. Cyprus grasses germinate in the light - the seeds should therefore only be placed on the ground and not covered with it. Keep the seed trays evenly and well moist and ensure a warm ambient climate of around 20 to 25°C. The seeds should germinate after about 2 to 3 weeks.

    offshoot

    A third variant for propagating cypergrass is the offshoot method. To do this, cut off some stalks and shorten the leaves by about half their length. Then stick them upside down in water or a container of wet sand. After about 4 weeks, the offshoots should have formed roots. Then you can plant them in a planter with potting soil.
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    Is Cyprus grass poisonous?

    Sedges are generally not poisonous - pet owners and parents of small children can therefore buy a sedge without hesitation.
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    tips

    Some cypergrass varieties still have astonishing potential uses beyond just being decorative indoor plants. The tuber root of the mantle, for example, is edible and, with its nutty taste and richness, is even considered a delicacy in southern Europe. Bulbous cypress grass can also be used to make home remedies for stomach problems. Anyone who likes creative handicrafts can also use the stalks of cypergrass to make wickerwork such as baskets, etc., as is common in African countries in particular.

    sorts

    Cyperus alternifolius

    This variety, already presented in the section on aquarium culture, is generally also the most well-known of the indoor sedges. The Cyperus alternifolius originally comes from Madagascar and can be cultivated very well in our room - and not only in the aquarium. It also thrives very well in soil substrate with relatively warm temperatures and, of course, thorough watering. Its shapely palm fronds are very vigorous and can reach a height of about one meter. The spike flowers, which appear all year round, are brown and inconspicuous.

    Like most sedges, the variety is not hardy and should not be exposed to temperatures below 10°C. In the summer, however, it can be placed outside.

    Cyperus eragrostis

    In German, this variety has the beautiful name "Frischgrünes Zypergras". It originally comes from South America and is also quite undemanding except for its large water requirement. However, it is only about half the size of Cyperus alternifolius. When it blooms, it can be quite plentiful. The Cyperus eragrostis does not form any runners and therefore does not have to be shown within its limits.

    Cyprus longus

    The tall cypress grass is - not surprisingly - one of the largest varieties of cypress grass and comes from the Mediterranean region. It is also conditionally hardy and suitable for garden pond planting. In good conditions, the high cypress grass reaches stately heights of up to two meters - in the local indoor culture, however, it usually ends at 1.20 m. The Cyperus longus forms strong foothills, so it has to be repotted regularly when kept in the bucket.

    Cyprus papyrus

    With a height of up to 3 meters, the genuine papyrus is even larger than the Cyperus longus and is also much more impressive thanks to its thick, triangular cross-section stalks. Of course, with these dimensions, the real papyrus is not suitable for every hobby gardener in indoor culture. Originally, Cyperus papyrus comes from Africa, southwest Asia and southern Europe and has been used in ancient times for the eponymous papyrus production and also as a building material.

    Cyperus fucus

    This variety is called Braunes Zypergras in German and even occurs naturally in Germany. However, their distribution area also extends southwards into the Mediterranean region and eastwards to China. The Cyperus fuscus is an annual variety, but its seeds survive the winter. It does not form clumps. With a growth height of only 30 to 40 centimetres, it is one of the smallest Cyprus grasses.

    Its stems are particularly sharply furrowed, the leaf umbrellas sitting on it have few, narrow leaves and therefore appear much less palm-like than, for example, Cyperus alternifolius.

    The brown sedge gets its name from the comparatively showy, spikey and luxuriant inflorescences in dark, violet-brown with green edges.

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Vegetable garden