This plant is a vigorous grower in or out of water but is generally shorter when soil is not moist. Plant it up to 12 inches deep in water or in rich moist soil in full to light shade (is more shade tolerant than regular papyrus) and protect from wind. It is hardy to about 20-25 degrees F. Its compact habit and shade tolerance make it well-suited to a smaller water garden but also make it a great addition to the large pond.

The Little Giant Papyrus plant was discovered in 1993 during a Cyperus propagation research project at Kagawa University in Japan. In the course of this research a dwarf form of papyrus was isolated, and it was determined that it was not only dwarf but grew with thicker stems and with more flower peduncles (the tassels at the top of a Cyperus stem) that were more compact than those on the full-sized papyrus. It was also found to be considerably more shade tolerant than the full-sized plants that it was being compared to.

This plant has been marketed in the US since 2004 under the invalid name Cyperus papyrus percamentus. The late Greg Speichert, aquatic plant specialist and author (with wife Sue) of the "Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants" (Timber Press, 2004) provided us with the background material on this plant, as published in the International Society of Horticultural Science and suggested we change the name. When we first started offering this plant in 2006 we came up with a creative name using a famous young Egyptian boy king's name as its cultivar name as this gave a clue to this plant's diminutive stature. We were later were notified that this name was one that had been trademarked, so changed the name to 'Dwarf Form' to describe this plant and to avoid confusion with another taller Papyrus being marketed under the name we previously used. Another name for this plant is Cyperus papyrus 'Nanus' and under this name this plant received the prestigious Royal Horticulture Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

Our thanks to Randy McDonald of McDonald Water Gardens in Reseda, CA for our original stock on this plant. We also grow the full size species, Cyperus papyrus. 

The information displayed on this page about Cyperus papyrus 'Dwarf Form' is based on the research we conducted about it in our nursery horticultural library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include some of our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.