Description of Equisetum fluviatile (Swamp Horsetail)

Equisetum fluviatile is water horsetail, a native marginal for shallow water and saturated mud. It gives a softer, more open look than Equisetum hyemale, and it sits well in wildlife planting.

Appearance

It grows as upright hollow stems in clusters. Stems are green and jointed, sometimes with a slightly bluish tone. Height is often 40 to 100cm, depending on water depth and feeding.

Care Guide

It likes permanent wet. If it dries out, growth thins and stalls.

• Sun: Full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Mud, wet soil, or aquatic compost.
• Water: Shallow water or saturated soil.
• Control: It can spread by rhizomes. Use a basket to keep it in bounds.
• Tidy: Thin stems in spring if the stand gets congested.

In baskets, top-dress with grit to stop compost floating and washing out.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens with a wet hollow or a pond shelf. It works well as a mid-layer behind small marginals, and it gives cover for pond life.

Contain it in smaller bog beds.

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