Umbrella Plant
Cyperus alternifolius
Characteristics
- Perennial
- Zone: 9 to 10
- Height: 1 – 2 Feet
- Spread: 1 – 2 Feet
- Bloom Time: July to August
- Bloom Description: Greenish-brown
- Sun: Part Shade to Full Shade
- Water: Wet
- Maintenance: Medium
- Suggested Use: Water Plant, Rain Garden
- Flower: Showy
- Leaf: Colorful
- Tolerate: Wet Soil
- Can be Invasive
Culture
Grow Umbrella Plant in wet, boggy soils in part shade to full shade. Best in part shade. Leaves may scorch if grown in full sun or if exposed to hot, drying winds in hot summer climates. Grows well in both standing water (up to 4”) and in boggy soils. This tropical sedge is only winter hardy to USDA Zone 9. Leafy bracts will brown up if exposed to frost and plant roots will not survive temperatures below 15 degrees F. In USDA Zones 9 and 10, Umbrella Plants may easily be grown as perennials and will freely self-seed in optimum growing conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Cyperus alternifolius, commonly called Umbrella Plant or Umbrella Palm, is a perennial sedge that features a grass-like clump of triangular green stems typically growing to 2-3’ tall. Each stem is topped by a whorl of 10-25 drooping leaf-like bracts that resemble the ribs of a raised umbrella. Flowers in greenish-brown clusters appear in summer in the bract axils.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Garden Uses
Water gardens, bogs, pond/stream peripheries, tubs, pots or containers.
Courtesy of Missouri Botanical Society Plant Finder