Horsetail Reed

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Can become invasive, best contained in an unperforated pot with lip above soil level.

Tall fine textured horsetails are marginal reeds at home at the edges of waterways and water gardens. They're excellent problem solvers for very poorly drained soils. Most popular use is as a filler of narrow slots in paving of modern and mid-century modern landscapes. Grow in pots for fine textured accents.

Horsetail is a perfect reed plant for both wet and dry gardens. Combine with the rich purple flowers of Ruffled Velvet Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica Ruffled Velvet), the bright orange flowers and bronzy foliage of Wyoming Garden Canna (Canna x generalis 'Wyoming'), the large peach blooms of Children's Festival Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Children's Festival') and Pink Spice Cranesbill (Geranium x 'Pink Spice'), with its pretty dark purple-bronze foliage and pink flowers.

This quite primitive plant reproduces by spores and has changed little except for size since ancient times. It is native around the world, residing in the margins of waterways where it survives both inundation and totally dry soil. It is named bottle rush due to the infertile bristled form of growth, while its fertile smooth reed phase is topped with unique cone-like sporangiums.

The high amount of silica in the cell walls of this reed makes it abrasive, so the plants have been used as natural scrub brushes since ancient times.