Perennials, Tropicals > Calopsis > Calopsis paniculata > Calopsis paniculata
Calopsis paniculata
Paniculate Restio, Calopsis, Restio
Origin: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, South Africa.
| Family |
| Restionaceae |
| Genus |
| Calopsis |
| Species |
| paniculata |
| Category |
| Perennials, Tropicals |
| Synonyms |
| Restio paniculatus |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cool season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H2 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 1– 5 |
| Height |
| 3 m |
| Spread |
| 5 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A bushy, much-branched, evergreen, rhizomatous perennial, producing erect stems up to 3 m in height and spreading up to 5 m across. |
| Cultivation |
| Grow in a preferably acidic, loam-based compost in full light. Water moderately when in growth during the spring summer and early autumn. |
| Shape |
| A tall reed like plant with bright green leaves and stems reaching a height of 3 m. |
| ID Characteristic |
| This is an attractive waterside plant which is normally found growing in waterlogged soils on river or stream banks. |
| Pests |
| Generally pest and disease free. |
| Habitat |
| It is widespread, occurring from the south western Cape through the wetter areas along the seaboard into KwaZulu-Natal. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The stems emerge from the ground via a strong underground rhizome with the lower parts of the stem looking somewhat bamboo-like. The stems are olive green with some purple spotting. |
| Flower Description |
| It bears clusters of brown grass-like flowers at the terminal ends of the stems. The male and female parts are borne on separate plants, with the female plants bearing small snowy white inflorescences and the male plants bearing less showy inflorescences. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Trengwainton Garden, Madron, near Penzance, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Propagation |
| By seed at 16-18°C after soaking for 24 hours in warm water, or by division of rhizomes in early spring. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Calopsis paniculata is often used in the manufacture of brooms in the Eastern Cape province as it has shorter branches and more wiry stems than many of the other Cape reeds, which are more often used for thatching. |
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