CYPERUS papyrus 'Nanus'

Interesting variant of the most famous Egyptian papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), of which it reproduces various characteristics; it is a rhizomatous plant, perennial and herbaceous, evergreen, belonging to the Cyperaceae family, with a thick and compact habit: it does not expect 90 cm in height and 70 cm in width. Numerous thin ancestral stems rise from the precious underground organ, forming dense and impenetrable tufts. From late spring each of them is crowned by a hemispherical tuft of very rich needle-like leaves, short inflorescences formed by tiny yellow-green flowers turning bronze in autumn.

It prefers sunny positions or partial shadows and given its marshy origin, humid soils even covered by a few centimeters of water. Tolerant only of short periods of frost, however not intense (-6°, -7°), it bears well the presence of coastal brackish winds and only occasional moments of drought: from spring and until autumn, when dry, it benefits from frequent and abundant wetting. It does not require specific pruning other than the elimination of some dry or broken stems; at the vegetative restart it can be advantageous in some cases to reduce the whole head to a few centimeters from the ground in order to stimulate the new vegetation. It lends itself well to cultivation in containers, on balconies and terraces but above all on the edge of lakes, ponds and marshes; if placed in the ground it can also form unusual borders but it is necessary to ensure an adequate level of soil moisture.