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Graceful Grasses® King Tut®

Sun or partial sun

48 - 72

Cyperus papyrus
P Allen Smith Platinum Collection
Rating:
****1/2
Award Winner
P. Allen Smith Platinum Collection
Proven Winners
Top Seller

Graceful Grasses®
King Tut®
Egyptian Papyrus
Cyperus
papyrus

Gardener’s Rated this plant:
4.73
****1/2
Rate this Plant

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Fine Gardening Magazine 2008 Trial Garden Recommendation.

Features

Large heads of pendulous leaves; greenish flower spikelets can measure 1' across
• Best Seller
• Deadheading Not Necessary
• Foliage Interest
• Grass
• Heat Tolerant
• Landscape Plant
• Low Maintenance
• Water Plant

Ornamental Characteristics

Foliage Color:
Green
Garden Height:
48 - 72"; Tall
Spacing:
36 - 48"
Habit:
Upright
Container Plant Style:
Thriller - Used either in the back or middle of a container. Usually a taller item that adds height and drama to the container.

Plant Needs

Duration:
Annual
Bloom Time:
Grown for Foliage
Zones:
Annual except in zones 10 - 11
Hardy Temp:
35°F (2°C)
Exposure:
Sun or partial sun
Water Needs:
Normal to Wet
Maintenance:
Easy
Uses:
Landscapes and containers
Use as a centerpiece in large landscape beds or containers

Patent Information

Growing Tips

Cyperus Papyrus is not hardy enough to survive winters with freezing temperatures and it is not a candidate to overwinter inside. It is a very fast grower and will quickly grow to impressive size when replanted in the spring.

The plant can be planted in pots, along the waters edge of a pond, or even in a pond. The crown of the plant should never be covered in water and in fact both of these varieties can thrive in water as shallow as a few inches. The purpose is to keep the bulk of the soil or root mass wet.
The root ball can be submerged but it isn’t necessary. If the plant is put into a pot I would suggest plugging the hole or holes in the bottom of the pot to keep as much water as possible in the pot.

King Tut will also do well when planted in normal garden beds. It is best to keep the soil moist, but once established King Tut has proven to be surprisingly tolerant of dry conditions.

King Tut is an evergreen or neutral grass. Where temperatures get colder than 35 degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Once the grass turns brown it can either be removed immediately or removed in the spring. It should not be expected to live through the winter and begin growing again in the spring.

In areas where winter temperatures remain above 35 degrees it should be considered a perennial and the following information should be useful.

Evergreen or neutral grasses are usually plants that look like grasses but aren't actually classified as grasses, they are generally called grass-like plants.

Divide evergreen or neutral grasses and grass-like plants in spring only.
Evergreen grasses don't ever go dormant. Dividing plants wounds them to some degree. For evergreen grasses this wounding will really affect their ability to live through the winter.

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Other Colors In Graceful Grasses® Series

Year Award Trial
2006 Top 25 Ohio State University Extension - Springfield
2009 Best Performer Colorado State University
2006 Excellent Rating Longwood Gardens
2009 Best Performer Kansas State University
2008 Best of Breed North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2008 Leader of the Pack Summer North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2009 Best Performer University of Tennessee - Jackson
2008 Leader of the Pack Summer - Early Season North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2009 Prairie Star Kansas State University
2008 Top Performer in Ground Kansas State University
2009 Prairie Star Kansas State University
2009 Top Picks BYU-Idaho, Thomas E. Ricks Demonstration Garden
2009 Best Performer University of Tennessee - Knoxville
2007 Top Performer Longwood Gardens
2008 Leader of the Pack Summer - Late Season North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2009 Visitor's Choice The Oregon Garden
2009 Top Performer University of Minnesota
2007 Leader of the Pack Summer North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2007 Top Performers University of Minnesota
2009 Les Exceptionelles Jardin Daniel A. Seguin
2006 Top Performer University of Minnesota-St. Paul
2009 People's Pick Texas A & M - East Texas Bedding Plant Trial
2009 Leader of the Pack for Summer North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2006 Best Varieties University of Maine
2006 Visitors Favorites University of Maine
2008 Top Performer in Containers Kansas State University
2007 Top Performer Ohio State University - Columbus
2007 Top Performer Michigan State University
2009 Excellent Rating Boerner Botanical Garden
2007 Premium Quality Welby Gardens Trials
2007 Plant of the Year International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society
2007 Top Performer Smithsonian Institution
  Fantastic plant!! Not used nearly enough in gardens - handles average soil just fine!! Wonderful foliage contrast with large leaved thigns like Ensete maurellii or Colocasias.
2007 Leader of the Pack Late Season North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2007 Top Consumer Choice Ohio State University - Columbus
2007 Best of Trials for Summer University of Florida
2009 Top 10 University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
2009 Top Performer Kansas State University
2009 Leader of the Pack - Late Summer North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2009 Leader of the Pack - Early Season North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2006 Arboretum Approved Dallas Arboretum
2006 Top Performer Michigan State University
2006 Top Rated Performer Virginia Tech
  WOW was this fun. H. Scoggins, VA Tech
2007 Top Five Performer Colorado State University
2006 Excellent Rating Boerner Botanical Garden
2006 Top Performer University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
2009 Top Performer Ohio State University Extension - Springfield
2009 Top Performer Mississippi State University
2007 Bronze Medal University of Illinois-Champaign County Master Gardeners
  This is an outstanding plant. We loved the foliage color, it knocked people over!
2007 Best of Breed North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2007 Best Novelty Plant Colorado State University
  King Tut' is a large (5-6 feet tall), fine-textured plant grown for its foliage. Its delicate and exotic nature especially stands out as it sways gently in a light breeze. It can be grown as a specimen or an accent plant.
2009 North Texas Winner's Circle Texas A & M - East Texas Bedding Plant Trial
2007 Outstanding Rating Boerner Botanical Garden
  Excellent for formal accents in pools, planters and flower beds
2009 Best of Breed - Summer North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2010 Top Performers Mast Arboretum
2010 Top Performer Powell Gardens
  Easy and fun texture. Loved our wet summer.
2010 Top Performer Oklahoma State University Botanical Gardens
  Robust and grows very quickly.
2009 Top Performer - Late Summer Michigan State University
2009 Public Choice Top 10 University Laval
2009 Top Performer University Laval
2009 Top Performer Jardin Daniel A. Seguin
2009 Visitor Vote Top Performer Jardin Daniel A. Seguin
2007 Prairie Star Kansas State University
2007 Leader of the Pack Early Season North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
2009 Top Performer summer Michigan State University
Exposure
Sun
Pot Size
16 inches
Color Scheme
Monochromatic

Exposure
Sun
Pot Size
36 inches
Color Scheme
Tropical

Exposure
Sun
Pot Size
12 inches
Color Scheme
Monochromatic

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Rating Scale
1 - Unsatisfied Did not survive, inferior performance or did not bloom well - won't grow again.
2 - Marginally Adequate Performed below expectations but may be willing to try again.
3 - Satisfactory Average performance, met expectations but not outstanding.
4 - Above Average Superior performance, among my favorites, would recommend to others.
5 - Outstanding My favorite plant, I recommend to others all the time and explain the reasons why I like it so much.
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