Fiber Optic Grass (Isolepis cernua)
[eye-so-LEP-iss SIR-new-ah]

Evergreen Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) in the Cyperaceae Family
Whimsical, no-fuss sedge whose thread-thin green blades form a dense pincushion mound, topped with tiny fluffy white flowers.

Isolepis cernua is a diminutive, clumping sedge relative prized for its hair-fine, bright green, leafless stems that curl and arch like a burst of fiber-optic cable -- hence the common name. Tiny fluffy white flower clusters appear at the stem tips in summer, adding subtle texture rather than showy color. Native across a wide range of temperate and subtropical regions worldwide, it grows naturally in consistently moist to wet, even boggy, soil and can tolerate standing water as a marginal pond plant. In most of the US it is grown as a tender perennial, killed by hard frost and replanted annually; where winters stay above about 20 degrees F it can persist and resprout.

Pros

  • Unique, fine-textured fiber-optic-like foliage unlike any other common annual
  • Thrives in consistently moist to wet soil, even standing water
  • Low maintenance, no deadheading needed
  • Compact, well-behaved mound in containers or small spaces

Cons

  • Not reliably frost hardy; killed by freezing temperatures in most climates
  • Can self-seed and spread more than expected in favorably moist conditions
  • Dividing the clump stresses the plant and should only be done in spring
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 10 - 14 inches tall. 10 - 14 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 8a - 10b (Usually hardy to 10° F)
Tags Annual in Chicago, Container, Evergreen, Full Sun, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Low Maintenance, Medium, Partial Sun, Perennial, Tender Perennial, Thrillers, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Bloom Period Summer
Flower Color White
Foliage Color

Photos of This with...

Fiber Optic Grass, Superbells Over Easy Calibrachoa, Prince Tut Papyrus, Supertunia Latte Petunia, Angelface Perfectly Pink Angelonia, Pure White Butterfly Marguerite Daisy, Silver Bullet Wormwood, Superbells Blue Moon Punch Calibrachoa, Superbells Cherry Star Calibrachoa, Superbells Double Orchid Calibrachoa, Superbells Dreamsicle Calibrachoa, Superbells Grape Punch Calibrachoa, Superbells Saffron Calibrachoa, Toffee Twist Bronze Curly Sedge, Vanilla Spice Sweet Pepperbush, Graceful Grasses Baby Tut Umbrella Grass, King Tut Papyrus, Diamond Snow Spurge, Diamond Frost Spurge, Karalee Petite Pink Gaura, Stratosphere White Gaura, Dolce Wildberry Coralbells, Shadowland Seducer Plantain Lily, Cityline Vienna Bigleaf Hydrangea, Hippo White Polka Dot Plant, Illusion Midnight Lace Sweet Potato, Sweet Caroline Bewitched After Midnight Sweet Potato, Sweet Caroline Light Green Sweet Potato, Sweet Caroline Red Hawk Sweet Potato Vine, Blue Mohawk Rush, Pink Chablis Deadnettle, Luscious Pinkberry Blend Lantana, Snow Princess Sweet Alyssum, Weigela - My Monet(TM), Bright Lights Double Moonglow African Daisy, Graceful Grasses Vertigo, Fireworks Variegated Red Fountain Grass, Graceful Grasses Purple Fountain Grass, Supertunia Bordeaux Petunia, Mini Vista Violet Star Petunia, Supertunia Mini Vista White Petunia, Supertunia Vista Silverberry, Rockin' Deep Purple Salvia, Lemon Coral Stonecrop, ColorBlaze Alligator Tears Coleus, ColorBlaze Apple Brandy Coleus, ColorBlaze Dipt in Wine Coleus, ColorBlaze Lime Time Coleus, ColorBlaze Rediculous Coleus, Colorblaze Sedona Sunset Coleus, Colorblaze Royale Cherry Brandy, Catalina Midnight Blue Wishbone Flower, Superbena Sparkling Rose Verbena, Meteor Shower Verbena,
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/31
2024 : 02/08 - 04/06
2023 : 03/02 - 05/21


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!