Horsetail restio

Elegia capensis

Horsetail (Eng.), Besemriet, Fonteinriet, Katstert, Kanet (Afr.)

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Horsetail Restios have tall bamboo-like stems and soft, feathery, needle-like leaves that will enhance swimming pool areas, larger water features, and areas around dams. While generally low maintenance, when the stems become untidy they can be pruned down to ground level and sometimes the entire clump needs to be cut down in spring to encourage healthy, new growth.

Planning

Difficulty

Easy

Flowering time

Summer, Spring

Fruiting time

Autumn

Harvesting

Harvest the golden brown flowers in spring to use for cut flowers. Bag seedheads to capture ripening seed and allow seedheads to dry on plants. Remove and collect seeds.