Grow in water at a depth up to 4 inches, in moist rock gardens or in pots. Best in light shade. It is cold hardy to about 20-25 degrees F. This is a delicate looking evergreen species should be used where it won't get overpowered by larger, coarser plants.

Cyperus prolifer naturally occurs along the east coast of Africa, from Kenya south through the northern areas of Eastern Cape and also on Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The name for the genus comes from the historical Greek name for Sweet Galingale, Cyperus longus. The specific epithet is a reference to the proliferous number of inflorescences this plant produces. This plant has long been grown as Cyperus isocladus or Cyperus prolifer var. isocladus but is now correctly known as Cyperus prolifer. While we have long thought this an attractive and unusual plant, it like so many other mesic water loving plants have gone by the wayside as we concentrate on more xerophytic summer dry growing species. We grew this plant in our nursery from 1987 until 2012. 

The information displayed on this page about Cyperus prolifer is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.