Requires a damp humus rich soil in a sunny position or semi-shade. The top part of the inflorescence is male, the bottom is female and the middle is hermaphrodite. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Leaves - chewed or cooked. Leaf stem - raw.

Seed - best sown as soon as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a sandy mix in a cold frame. The seed can also be sown in the spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division as new growth commences in the spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Marshes, from Ceres to Paarl, Peninsula to Port Elizabeth.