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Graceful Grasses® Baby Tut® Umbrella Grass Cyperus involucratus

Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
Mature Size
2' 2' 61cm 61cm
Height: 18" - 2'
Spread: 18" - 2'
Height: 46cm - 61cm
Spread: 46cm - 61cm
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  • Details

    18 - 24 Inches
    14 - 20 Inches
    18 - 24 Inches
    46cm - 61cm
    36cm - 51cm
    46cm - 61cm

    Features

    A water garden friendly-grass that can be planted in the landscape as well

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    Foliage Interest
    Heat Tolerant
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Water Plant
    Grass: 
    Grass

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Annual
    Height Category: 
    Medium
    Garden Height: 
    18 - 24 Inches 46cm - 61cm
    Spacing: 
    14 - 20 Inches 36cm - 51cm
    Spread: 
    18 - 24 Inches 46cm - 61cm
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Green
    Habit: 
    Mounded
    Container Role: 
    Filler

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Part Sun to Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Bloom Time: 
    Grown for Foliage
    Hardiness Zones: 
    9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Average Soil
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Grass
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses Notes: 

    Use in water gardens, landscapes and mixed containers

    Maintenance Notes: 

    Cyperus is not hardy enough to survive winters with freezing temperatures and it is not a candidate to overwinter inside.

    This plant can sometimes be aggressive in frost-free winter climates, if it is grown in constantly moist conditions.

    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

    Baby Tut can also be planted in regular garden soil. It is best to keep the soil moist, but once established Baby Tut can tolerate some dry soil conditions.

    Baby Tut is an evergreen or neutral grass. Where temperatures get colder than 25 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 25 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.

  • 18 Reviews

    5
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    4
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    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • I bought Baby Tut last year from a local nursery. It grew nice and full. I didn't mulch around my Baby Tut either. I'm in zone 6b. I left it in the ground over the winter because I just didn't have time to clean out my flower bed. We had some pretty crazy weather in our area with cold and snow. We had many nights in the low teens. I went out puttering around my flowerbed the other day - April 2022 - and I have new shoots coming up. I was super surprised since the tag says hardiness was from 9-11.

      Nila
      , Arkansas
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • I planted all three "Tuts" this last spring/summer, 2021. First time with Baby Tut. Planted in-ground, at the bottom of a 4'x40' slope-border sun/part-sun (6hrs) spot and Baby grew to 5 ft tall, 2.5' wide. No special attention given, maybe some plant tone at planting. The container-planted Prince Tuts grew to 30" tall, and the King Tuts did their usual 8 ft height. I kind of ignored Baby Tut throughout the summer, even as it kept getting taller and lost its short habit, now looking like a many-branched palm tree. Very striking, beautiful, and VERY different from its Tut cousins. So impressed was I with this Little Tut That Could, that I dug and potted it up before the first frost and brought it inside. It is doing fine. I don't think I'll replant outside but instead, see what happens indoors.

      M Erwin
      , Missouri
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • I saw this plant when traveling and was immediately taken by how unusual it was and knew to be on the lookout for it the following spring. I have it in containers with other flowers. Very striking, will purchase again.

      Elena Schils
      , Michigan
      , United States
      , 4 years ago
    • Oh my! This is quite possibly the most healthy plant I have ever ordered online. And I have ordered a lot. The packaging protected the plant's unusual shape very well. It looks so healthy and is shooting up several new "umbrellas" every day. I am thrilled and will certainly make Proven Winners my first choice for online ordering of plants.

      Jan
      , 4 years ago
    • I love this plant. I have used it in containers every year for at least 5 years. It looks so nice & requires very little maintenance. I would highly recommend it.

      Cindy Pettit
      , Pennsylvania
      , United States
      , 6 years ago
    • Great plant! Have entered mine in two flower shows and won blue ribbons in both. I use outdoors in Summer and indoors in Winter. Keep moist and trim back leaf tips if they turn brown. Otherwise, no maintenance necessary. Remember, it is a water plant so hard to overwater.

      Patrick Ryan
      , Alaska
      , United States
      , 11 years ago
    • This is the first year I have grown this plant. I live in Central Illinois and it did fine as long as you keep it well watered. I planted it in a large pot and put a saucer under it to hold more water. It makes an interesting plant to add to my flower bed. I would recommend it to others and make sure that they know it needs lots of water.

      Tina Wannenmacher
      , 13 years ago
    • Russell Studebaker
      , British Columbia
      , Canada
      , 13 years ago
    • I was very surprised, it survived the first frost.

      Tyler
      , Minnesota
      , United States
      , 13 years ago
    • This plant is awesome grown in containers. I planted King Tut in ground this year...it grew to be over 6 ft tall. If your looking for a tropical looking plant this is it.

      Pam
      , Ohio
      , United States
      , 13 years ago
  • 83 Awards

    Award Year Award Plant Trial
    2012 Top Performer University of Minnesota - Morris
    2012 Hall of Fame Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
    2012 Plant of Distinction University of Georgia
    2012 Top Performer University of Georgia
    2011 Top Performers Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
    2011 Top Performer University of Georgia
    2011 Top Performer University of Minnesota - Morris
    2011 Best of Show (top 1%) Penn State University
    2011 Best Annuals University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
    2011 Best Annuals University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
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  • 2 Recipes

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