Meet the 2022 Annual of the Year – Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™
Take a closer look at Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™ dwarf Egyptian papyrus and see how you can incorporate some garden royalty into your garden.
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.
Graceful Grasses® 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.
Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™ at a Glance:
- A modern version of an ancient classic papyrus
- Huge plumes on sturdy 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
- Grown as an annual everywhere except zones 10-11 where it is perennial
- Pronounced “CY-pruss” or “cy-PEER-us”
Try These 6 Container Recipes
Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™ brings modern flair and a flash of brilliance as it dances above its companions in container recipes. Since it is quick to mature, it won’t get swallowed up by neighboring plants early in the season. Pair it with other full sun to part sun loving annuals and be sure to use a large container to accommodate the roots.
See all 27 recipes that include Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™
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Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™ for Your Water Garden
Though it is well-adapted to growing in moist, well-drained soil, Cyperus has been grown as an aquatic plant for centuries. If your pond could use a little pizzazz, here’s a fun solution. Sink a pot of Prince Tut a few inches deep in your pond or plant its banks where the roots will naturally seek out moisture.
Alternatively, you could use a container without a drainage hole to grow a single showy specimen of Prince Tut. It also loves growing in AquaPots® self-watering planters where it can have continual access to moisture.
Love the look of the tall papyrus in this photo? That’s King Tut® papyrus which can reach heights of six feet. It certainly makes a royal statement! You might also like our most petite variety, Baby Tut®. It tops out at just two feet.
How to Care for Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™
LIGHT: Prince Tut papyrus grows and blooms most prolifically if planted in full sun to part sun, which means a minimum of four hours of sun per day with most of that coming in the afternoon. It will also grow (though more slowly) in part shade and open shade, meaning that it receives just a few hours of direct sun per day but is growing in bright filtered shade such as under a tall tree canopy.
WATER: This grass thrives with lots of moisture. It will grow in standing water, alongside a body of water with its roots in moist soil, and in consistently moist garden or potting soil. If you let it dry out, you’ll notice the tips of its airy plumes will turn brown. If that happens, trim them off and water the plant well to encourage new growth.
Depending on your climate and whether you are growing it in containers or in the landscape, you may need to water this plant every day. Consider installing WaterWise® drip irrigation, using self-watering AquaPots®, or growing it in a container without drainage holes to keep it consistently moist.
FEEDING: Papyrus is not a heavy feeder. Mix some continuous release plant food into the soil when you plant it and that should be sufficient. If you live where the growing season is year-round, you could scratch a second helping of continuous release plant food into the soil halfway through the year.
TRIMMING: Other than trimming off a few of the oldest flower plumes that turn brown as your Prince Tut plant matures, no trimming is needed. Pruning away those spent flowers will make room for new ones to form in their place. This plant cannot be pruned to control the height.
HEAT: Papyrus was grown for centuries in Ancient Egypt where it was extremely hot, so you can rest assured that it can handle any heat your climate throws at it. Just be sure to keep the plant moist and it will thrive.
Go Further!
Learn more about our 2022 Annual of the Year™ Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut™ and all of our other award-winning plants for the season at www.nationalplantoftheyear.com.
