Wetland plants offer unique opportunities to bridge ecological sustainability, cultural heritage, and innovation in agriculture and industry. Cyperus textilis (commonly known as umbrella sedge, or imizi in isiXhosa, South Africa) is a perennial wetland species endemic to southern South Africa that holds both ecological and Indigenous biocultural significance. Traditionally harvested for weaving mats, baskets, and ritual purposes, C. textilis continues to sustain rural livelihoods while embodying cultural values of resilience, fertility, and protection. Recently, the species has gained attention for ecological engineering applications, particularly through the co-creation of woven C. textilis mats used to rehabilitate modified coastal infrastructure. Unsustainable harvesting and limited ecological understanding however threaten the plant’s long-term availability and cultural continuity. This study adopts a transdisciplinary approach, combining ecological research, cultivation experiments, and community engagement to explore sustainable pathways for C. textilis in contemporary contexts. Field surveys and controlled experiments identified salinity, water levels, and soil texture as critical ecological determinants of growth, underscoring the species’ sensitivity to hydrological change. Cultivation trials comparing soil- and hydroponic-based systems revealed that hydroponics under high nutrient conditions significantly enhanced culm density and shoot production. These findings demonstrate the potential of technological innovation in hydroponic agriculture to provide scalable plant material, reducing pressure on wild populations while supporting ecological rehabilitation and climate-resilient infrastructure. Parallel ethnographic research with two coastal communities in the Eastern Cape province revealed dynamic cultural meanings of imizi: in Hamburg, it remains sacred and central to ritual practice, whereas in Amadiba, its use has become increasingly commercial through weaving enterprises. By integrating modern cultivation technologies with Indigenous knowledge systems, this study proposes a framework for the sustainable production and use of C. textilis, linking biodiversity conservation, livelihood security, and green innovation at the intersection of technology, agriculture, and cultural heritage.