Plant Database
Horsetail Reed
Equisetum hyemale, Horsetail Reed, Winter Scouring Rush
Equisetum hyemale, commonly known as Horsetail Reed or Scouring Rush, is a striking, primitive perennial prized for its architectural, bamboo-like vertical stems and exceptional adaptability to wet conditions. This ancient plant produces hollow, upright, bright green stems adorned with distinctive dark brown to black bands (nodes) at regular intervals, creating a bold, graphic silhouette. It spreads vigorously by underground rhizomes and can form dense colonies, making it an excellent choice for containers, water gardens, pond margins, and boggy areas. It is an outstanding plant for adding a strong vertical accent to modern, Asian-inspired, or contemporary water-wise landscapes, but it requires careful containment due to its aggressive spreading nature.