A grass-like houseplant noted for its spiraling green stems that stay green year-round, the Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' is an easy-to-care-for house plant that will make a fantastic addition to your indoor garden collection. The Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' is also known as the corkscrew rush and has earned this name because the stems look like corkscrews. Here's a full Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' care guide, including how to water the plant, the best soil to use, where to plant it, and how to propagate it.
CC featured image by Gabriele Diwald
Summary:
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Water generously, don't allow the soil to dry out
- Soil: Average garden soil
- Size: The plant grows up to 12" (0,3 m) tall
- Size: The plant grows up to 18" (0.45 m) wide
- Zone: 5a (minimum -20°F | -28,9°C)
- Cold hardy: Cold hardy
- Propagation: Offsets
- Toxicity: Might be toxic to humans and pets
Table of content
General Care for Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' (Corkscrew Rush)
The Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' is native to East and Southeast Texas but grows all over the world in North America, Europe, and Asia in different environments. This corkscrew rush will grow easily in almost any environment.
Watering
The corkscrew rush tends to need a lot of water. It will definitely affect the plant if you forget to water this plant often. It's best to water regularly and keep the soil moist. To make sure the soil isn't dry, put your finger on the soil and if the soil feels dry, it's time to water!
Where to Plant
The Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' is cold hardy up to -20°F (-28,9°C) which means this plant can easily be grown indoors as well as outdoors.
Plant in an area that gets a lot of light, preferably (when growing indoors) a south-facing window that gets the most direct sunlight. The corkscrew rush loves full sun and doesn't thrive well in the shade.
CC image by Forest and Kim Starr.
How to Propagate Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' (Corkscrew Rush)
The Juncus effusus can be propagated very easily by offsets.
Offsets
The Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' can be propagated by offsets, which grow throughout the whole year and are actually baby versions of the plant. Offsets can grow with many at once and grow in the soil.
To propagate the Corkscrew Rush through offsets, you only have to cut the roots that are connected to the mother plant. The best way to do this is by using a sharp knife or a pair of pruning shears. Now you want to gently pull the baby away from the mother plant and you can repot the baby plant into a smaller pot in just regular potting soil. Because these baby Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' already have a root system of their own, they will quickly start growing!
Tip: Don't start chopping away offsets (babies) as soon as they pop up. Wait till they're at least 1" (2.5 cm) before removing them from the mother plant. The bigger the baby, the more success you will have growing a new corkscrew rush!
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