To review the September newsletter CLICK HERE
GardenSMART Newsletter Signup
 
Visit our Sponsors! encore azalea Dramm
Visit our Sponsors and win.
3 Ways to Save Water When Getting Ready For Spring

Meet the 2022 Annual of the Year

By Susan Martin for Proven Winners
Photographs courtesy of Proven Winners

It’s official! Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™ Egyptian papyrus (Cyperus) is Proven Winners’ 2022 Annual of the Year.

GardenSMART Article Image

Grow Some Garden Royalty

Do you recognize the word “papyrus”? History lessons teach how the stems of Cyperus papyrus were used to make a paper-like material for writing scrolls in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. Fast forward to today where this unique aquatic plant has been adapted as a modern ornamental for container combinations and landscapes. What a versatile plant!

Though it retains a strong preference for moist soil and continues to thrive in water gardens, Egyptian papyrus is now adapted to grow well in large containers where it makes a whimsical thriller. Huge umbrella-shaped tassels dance to the slightest breeze, imbuing vitality into your garden design. Clipped for fresh bouquets, the plumes last up to two weeks.

Prince Tut papyrus is a mid-sized selection with sturdy stems rising up to 30” tall from large, woody rhizomes. Give it plenty of root space and keep the moisture coming to see fresh plumes rise up all season. Prefer something taller? Try the six foot tall King Tut® papyrus. Shorter? Baby Tut® tops out at two feet.

GardenSMART Article Image

A trio of Tuts! From left to right: Baby Tut®, Prince Tut™, and King Tut® underplanted with Baby Tut papyrus.

Get to Know Prince Tut Papyrus

  • A modern version of an ancient classic papyrus

  • Huge plumes on sturdy, short 18-30” stalks

  • Blooms from planting time until frost

  • Fun accent plant for containers and landscapes

  • Grows in shallow water and at the pond’s edge

  • Long-lasting in fresh bouquets

  • Grows and blooms well in 4+ hours of sun

How to Grow Prince Tut Papyrus in Containers

Prince Tut thrives with consistent moisture and has an extensive root system. When growing it in containers, choose one that is a minimum of 12” in diameter—the larger the better. Self-watering AquaPots® or containers made of glazed clay or other non-porous material are ideal since they will help the soil retain moisture.

If you are growing Prince Tut on its own in a container, you can use one that does not have any drainage holes. This will essentially turn your container into a mini bog garden, and the papyrus will love all that extra moisture. But if you are pairing Prince Tut with other plants in a container, it must have drainage holes since the other plants will require it.

GardenSMART Article Image

Prince Tut papyrus shines as the thriller in this container recipe named Blind Love.

Planting Tips

Start by positioning your Prince Tut papyrus as the thriller in your container. If it will be seen from all sides, plant it in the middle. If it will be set up against a wall, plant it in the back. Depending on the size of your container, you may need just two more plants to fill out the edges or several more. Space them a few inches apart around Prince Tut to give their roots room to grow.

Use a good quality potting soil in your container. If you are pairing Prince Tut with other moisture-loving varieties, consider using a moisture control potting soil. Mix a bit of continuous release plant food into the potting soil before you add the plants. This will ensure a small amount of nutrients is available to the plants throughout the growing season. Water your newly planted container immediately to help the soil settle in around the plants’ roots.

Sunlight and Water Needs

The size and robustness of your Prince Tut papyrus will depend in part on how much sunlight it receives. It grows the biggest when it has six or more hours of sun per day and consistent moisture. However, the plants will also grow and bloom well in part sun. They will just be a bit smaller.

Papyrus is traditionally considered to be an aquatic plant, meaning it grows well in shallow water and at the water’s edge. Today’s modern varieties like Prince Tut are well-adapted to use as a modern ornamental for container combinations and landscapes. It retains a strong preference for moist soil which is easier to provide when you grow the plant in a self-watering container or in a container with a large soil volume.

Water Prince Tut regularly and don’t let the soil dry out to the point your plants start to wilt, as this will cause its plumes to turn brown. If this happens, trim away the damaged bits to make room for new plumes to form.

GardenSMART Article Image

5 Tips for Growing Prince Tut Papyrus in a Water Garden

  1. Use an 8 to 12” diameter nursery pot with holes in the bottom to let the water in. If your water garden is in a windy location, pack the bottom of the container with rocks to add weight to keep it from blowing over.

  2. Plant Prince Tut in fertile garden soil with a bit of Proven Winners continuous release plant food mixed in to your container.

  3. Soak the plant to eliminate all the air pockets and let the soil settle. Add more soil if needed.

  4. Set the container on a ledge or shelf in your water garden and pack a few rocks around it to keep it upright. At least the bottom few inches of the container should be submerged. Keep the crown of the plant above water.

  5. Prince Tut is an evergreen grass that produces new flower plumes all season long. Once they are spent, the individual plumes turn light brown and should be trimmed away to make room for new ones to form. It’s important to remove the spent foliage to prevent too much organic matter from building up in the pond.

GardenSMART Article Image

The Dancing in the Dark container recipe combines three types of plants that enjoy consistent moisture and full sun to part shade conditions.

What to Pair with Prince Tut Papyrus

Since papyrus likes moist soil and full sun to part shade conditions, look for other plants that enjoy similar conditions. Here are a dozen suggestions for companions in container recipes. You will discover even more as you experiment with this versatile plant in your own garden.

Angelface® Angelonia – summer snapdragon

Endless™ Browallia – bush violet

Toucan® Canna – canna lily

ColorBlaze® Plectranthus – coleus

Scirpus (AKA Isolepis) – fiber optic grass

Hippo® Hypoestes – polka dot plant

Rockapulco® Impatiens – double impatiens

White Knight® Lobularia – sweet alyssum

Infinity® Impatiens – New Guinea impatiens

Supertunia® Petunia – petunias

Sweet Caroline Ipomoea – sweet potato vine

Catalina® or Summer Wave® Torenia – wishbone flower

Learn more about Prince Tut papyrus and all of our National Plants of the Year using these resources:

Susan Martin is an avid zone 6 gardener, garden writer and speaker who enjoys spreading her passion for plants to her fellow gardeners across North America.


All articles are copyrighted and remain the property of the author.

Article URL:
https://www.GardenSMART.com/?p=articles&title=Meet_the_2022_Annual_of_the_Year


Back to Articles List                               


   
 
FEATURED ARTICLE
GardenSMART Featured Article

Susan Martin for Proven Winners

Are you interested in keeping your favorite potted perennials and shrubs alive through the winter? There are a few important things to consider before the snow flies. Click here for an informative article on the topic.

  Click here to sign up for our monthly NEWSLETTER packed with great articles and helpful tips for your home, garden and pets!  
   
   
   
 
   
Copyright © 1998-2012 GSPC. All Rights Reserved.