Fimbristylis dichotoma

Growth Requirements

General

    Fimbristylis dichotoma

Fertilizer

For forked fimbry use very small amounts of a balanced slow release fertilize with minor elements every six months. Foliar feed monthly with kelp or fish emulsion, or a commercial fertilizer with a weak dilution of one half to one third of recommended strength. This sedge is not a heavy feeder and too much fertilizer will encourage unnaturally long leaves. Never fertilize if planted in natural wetlands setting. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]

Pruning Information

None required. However, pruning off seed heads will prolong life of the plants but also takes away a nice feature. Trimming is best done by hand with sharp pruners rather than a gas or string trimmer.

Water Requirements

• Wet

Additional Water Information

Forked fimbry does best in moist to wet situations and will even grow, flower and fruit with roots submerged in water. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]

Soil must be well drained

No

Light Conditions

• Full sun

• Partial sun

Additional Lighting Information

Best in full sun in moist to wet conditions.

Spacing Information

Forked fimbry should be spaced about a foot or so apart depending on desired thickness in the landscape use.

Tolerances

• Waterlogged Soil

• Wind

Soils

• Clay

• Organic

Limitations

Short-lived perennials. Plants will re-seed if ground or pot is moist or wet. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]

Forked fimbry can be grown in a variety of landscape situations including along edges of water features, stream banks that seasonally flood, and even with roots submerged in water. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]

Pests and Diseases

    Fimbristylis dichotoma Refer to the Pests & Diseases page for ways to deal with each of these pests and diseases. 

Special Features and Information

General

    The Sedge family (Cyperaceae) consists of approximately 5,500 species in about 90 genera [WikipediA;Cyperaceae]. Of the 200 to 300 species of Fimbristylis worldwide [WikipediA;Fimbristylis], three are native to Hawai‘i, with one endemic and two indigenous species.

Hawaiian Name

Etymology

    Fimbristylis comes from the Latin word, fimbria, meaning "thread or fringe," and the Greek word, stylos, meaning "pillar or column," likely a reference to the flower's style being bordered by long, slender processes (i.e., being fimbriate) in some members of the genus [Wagner et al. 1990]. The specific epithet dichotoma is from the Greek dichotomia, divided in two or forked in reference to the anthela (seed head or inflorescence) appearance of continually dividing by twos.