Umbrella Palm in 6″Pot

A clump-forming, grass-like perennial in the sedge family (Cyperaceae), native to Madagascar, West Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (now naturalized in many warm regions). It’s not a true palm—just palm-like in habit. Tall, slender, triangular stems (scapes) 0.5–2 m (1.5–6 ft) rise from a creeping rhizome; stems are leafless except for a terminal whorl of 10–25 narrow, strap-like bracts (often called “leaves”) that fan out like the ribs of an umbrella, 10–25 cm (4–10 in) long. From summer to fall, small brown spikelets appear in the center of the whorl. Great for pond margins, water gardens, or as an indoor architectural plant. RHS Award of Garden Merit; cultivar ‘Variegatus’ has cream-striped bracts and stays smaller.

Quick care: full sun to partial shade outdoors (bright, indirect light indoors; some morning sun is good). Keep constantly moist or wet—this is a semi-aquatic plant. Stand the pot in a saucer or tray of water, or grow in shallow water (soil 3–8 cm/1–3 in below water level). Never let it dry out; dry roots cause brown tips/decline. Use rich, humus-loam/peat-based mix (pH 6–7.5). Temps 15–27 °C (60–80 °F); bring indoors below ∼5 °C (41 °F); protect from cold drafts (hardy USDA 9–11). Average to high humidity (40–70 %) is ideal. Feed monthly spring–summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer (or aquatic tablets if in a pond). Propagate by division or by rooting a stem cutting upside-down in water (new plantlets form at the crown). Generally pest-free; watch for spider mites indoors. Non-toxic.