Scirpus cernuus - Fibre Optic Grass

Scirpus cernuus, also known as Nodding Club-rush or Fibre Optic Grass, is a small perennial grass that catches everyone's attention. It is truly unique and visually appealing, with its clusters of small light green to white flowers attached to the ends of bright acidic green stems. This sight evokes a bouquet of fibre optics. It is a tender plant that flowers almost all year round indoors. It will thrive in moist soil, along water edges, or even submerged, in full sun. Cultivated in a pot, this 'grass' will create a focal point on the terrace or in the conservatory.

Fibre Optic Grass is also known as Isolepis cernua. It is an ornamental grass native to marshy areas in Western and Southern Europe and North Africa, belonging to the Cyperaceae family. This small plant slowly forms a fairly rounded, dense, spreading clump, measuring 30 cm (11.8 in) in height and 40 cm (15.7 in) in diameter. It is a semi-aquatic and rhizomatous perennial plant that resembles a small rush. It has foliage consisting of a bouquet of thread-like, leafless, shiny, very stiff, bright acidic green stems. The flowering is continuous, illuminating the tips of the stems with tiny cream-greenish spikelets accompanied by wider bracts. The flowering gives way to brown fruits called achenes. The plant can withstand temperatures of around -8°C (18°F) when grown in the ground.

This sedge is magnificent when suspended in the conservatory or on the terrace, in full sun. To achieve a trailing habit, often sought after, it is preferable to place the plant in a shaded area, although this cultivation method may shorten its lifespan. In the garden, this small 'grass' can be planted along water edges, in marshy areas, or in pots that are partially submerged. Except in the mildest climates, it is advisable to overwinter this plant to protect it from severe frosts.