Hardiness zones
Sunset 8-9, 12-24
USDA 8 (freezes to ground in winter but recovers quickly in spring) - 11

Landscape Use: Mesic landscape design themes around pools, ponds, water features, dry washes, containers, needs root restriction to limit spreading

Form & Character: Herbaceous perennial, upright and stiff with umbrella top, marsh plant suggests water.

Growth Habit: Upright and clumping to 3'

Foliage/Texture: Basal foliage nothing more than a reddish brown sheath. Stems, green, obtusely triangular to rounded, finely striate, medium texture

Flowers & Fruits: Green bracts, 4" to 12" long at terminal ends of stems, inflorescence a compound umbel with short raylet spikes emanating from above bracts. Fruit a small dull brown achene

Seasonal Color: None

Temperature: Shoots damaged by freezing temperatures

Light: Partial shade best

Soil: Tolerant of, in fact prefers damp to wet soil

Watering: Regular

Pruning: Shear to ground every 2 years to rejuvenate and to remove build up of thatch.

Propagation: Division of clumps

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: This is a great plant to use around ponds, pools, or fountains or to suggest the presence of water in the landscape. Widely naturalized in tropical areas. Cultivated for over 2,000 years. The cultivar 'Gracilis' (dwarf umbrella plant) is smaller, more fine textured, and rarely flowers.