Horsetail reed is all architecture: stiff, upright green stems with dark joints, like a stand of miniature bamboo reaching three to four feet. It brings a clean, modern line to water features, contemporary beds, and tall containers, and the stems hold their color most of the year.

It loves moisture, standing water included, and takes sun to part sun. It spreads by runners, so give it a pot or a sunken barrier and it will stay exactly where you put it. Beyond that, care amounts to cutting out the occasional tired stem.