Umbrella Palm: The Plant That Keeps on Giving

March 17, 2025

Want to add an impressive plant to your pond? Consider the beautiful umbrella palm (Cyperus alternifolius), sometimes called umbrella papyrus. This whimsical beauty is a tropical plant that is hardy to Zone 7.

Be forewarned, this architectural plant can grow to almost six feet in height. For smaller ponds, the dwarf (Cyp. Alt. ‘Gtracilis’) and medium (Cyperus spp.) varieties are available.

You can over-winter an umbrella palm by bringing it indoors and placing it near a sunny window. When the weather warms back up, transfer the palm to your pond.

The height of an umbrella palm creates a soft backdrop for shorter aquatic plants, such as pickerel, water iris, and more.

Larger palms can be invasive without some precautions. Even a small single stalk with roots will grow as a marginal and can be difficult to remove if left alone too long, especially in a graveled pond where the roots will grow deeply into the gravel. It’s best to keep umbrella palm in an aquatic planter. The roots of a palm in a planter will need trimming from time to time, but now the plant can be easily removed for maintenance and over-wintering.

When ready for trimming, don’t worry about destroying the plant by cutting the roots into a smaller size. The plant will regrow to fill the container. By trimming the root ball and cutting the plant in two, you’ll reduce the size of the plant so there’s less “wind-sail” to blow it over.

You can use a small handsaw to cut through the bottom of the root ball to lower its height. You can also cut the root ball in half from top to bottom before repotting. Now you have a second plant to add to your pond or to a container water garden. You can also gift it to a friend.

After the umbrella palm’s root ball is cut to a smaller version, rocks ranging in size from tennis balls to grapefruits should be added around the root ball to anchor both the pot and the root ball so it’s not so prone to blowing over in the wind before the roots have a chance to reestablish.

You do not need to add any dirt to the pot or fertilize the umbrella palm. They derive their nutrients directly from the pond water which helps filter the water and keep it safe for all your fish!