California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

Scirpus cernuus - Fiber Optic Grass

Scirpus cernuus grabs your attention with the small flower clusters at the ends of the stems. Some have likened this to fiber optics. Hence the name Fiber Optic Grass. Scirpus cernuus is a wetland plant and will grow in moist soil or even in shallow water. Scirpus cernuus grows in full sun if it is in a wet enough environment. Without the pond, light to full shade makes growing Scirpus cernuus a lot easier. Scirpus cernuus grows 8" tall and slowly spreads a few inches each year. If the Fiber Optic Grass dries out, cut off the brown tops and give more water, the plants will often recover. Scirpus cernuus is Winter hardy into the low teens. The Fiber Optic Grass can sometimes be found under the name Isolepis cernua.

Scirpus cernuus, Fiber Optic Grass

White flower heads and lush green foliage of Scirpus cernuus - Fiber Optic Grass. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.