Mare’s Tail (Hippuris vulgaris)

Mare’s Tail | Hippuris vulgaris

Native Oxygenating Pond Plant for Clear Water, Wildlife Habitat and Natural Pond Planting

Mare’s Tail (Hippuris vulgaris) is one of the most useful native oxygenating pond plants available for UK ponds. Loved for its distinctive bottle brush appearance and excellent water quality benefits, this attractive aquatic plant helps create a healthier, more balanced pond ecosystem while providing valuable habitat for wildlife.

Its upright stems are covered in whorls of bright green needle like leaves, creating a unique architectural appearance that stands out among other pond plants. Emerging from shallow water, the foliage provides year round interest and natural structure, making Mare’s Tail equally suitable for wildlife ponds, ornamental ponds, natural swimming ponds, and larger water features.

As a native British species, Mare’s Tail plays an important role in supporting local biodiversity. The dense underwater growth provides shelter for amphibians, aquatic insects, tadpoles, and developing dragonfly larvae. Frogs, newts, and other pond wildlife frequently use the foliage for protection from predators, while fish benefit from the additional cover created beneath the water’s surface.

One of the biggest advantages of Mare’s Tail is its ability to act as a natural oxygenating pond plant. Through active growth during the warmer months, it helps improve water quality by absorbing excess nutrients that would otherwise contribute to nuisance algae and blanketweed growth. This makes it an excellent addition to wildlife ponds and ornamental ponds where maintaining clear, healthy water is a priority.

Mare’s Tail thrives in shallow water and marginal planting zones, typically growing in water depths between 0cm and 15cm. Once established, it spreads steadily to form attractive colonies without becoming overly invasive. Its semi evergreen nature means that in milder winters some foliage may remain visible, providing additional interest throughout the year.

This hardy UK native plant is exceptionally tolerant of cold weather and can withstand temperatures well below -20°C, making it one of the most reliable aquatic plants for British ponds. It grows happily in full sun or partial shade and requires very little ongoing maintenance.

Whether you are creating a wildlife pond, improving water quality, encouraging amphibians, or simply looking for a beautiful native oxygenator, Mare’s Tail is one of the most beneficial pond plants you can add to your pond planting scheme.

---

Key Benefits

• Native British oxygenating pond plant
• Helps improve pond water quality naturally
• Absorbs excess nutrients that can contribute to algae growth
• Provides excellent shelter for frogs, newts, and tadpoles
• Creates habitat for dragonflies and aquatic insects
• Distinctive bottle brush style foliage
• Semi evergreen in mild winters
• Extremely hardy and reliable
• Suitable for wildlife ponds and ornamental ponds
• Easy to grow and low maintenance

---

Reasons to Buy

• One of the best native oxygenating pond plants
• Excellent for supporting pond wildlife
• Helps maintain a healthy pond ecosystem
• Attractive architectural foliage
• Fully hardy throughout the UK
• Suitable for shallow pond shelves and margins

---

Care Instructions

• Place Mare’s Tail in full sun or partial shade at a water depth of 0cm to 15cm. Position the aquatic basket on a marginal shelf where the plant can establish naturally.
• Allow enough room for the plant to spread over time, as it will gradually form attractive colonies. Once established, very little maintenance is required.
• Remove any dead or damaged stems during spring if required. In most ponds, Mare’s Tail can simply be left to grow naturally. If clumps become too dense, they can be divided during spring.

---

Flowering Period

June to August Although grown primarily for its attractive foliage and oxygenating properties, Mare’s Tail produces small, inconspicuous flowers during summer.

---

Size and Growing Conditions

---

Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Mare’s Tail will be carefully packed to protect the foliage and roots during transit.

Orders received by 11am Monday to Wednesday are normally dispatched on the following working day using a next working day courier service. During busy periods, dispatch may occasionally take an extra day.

To avoid plants being held in depots over a weekend, we do not usually dispatch on Fridays. Highlands and Islands orders using a two day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available basket sizes:

• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots
• 1 Litre Basket – usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square; some varieties may be supplied in a 14cm diameter × 10cm round basket
• Pack of 3 × 1 Litre Baskets – each usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square
• 2 Litre Basket – usually 17cm diameter × 13cm round or 19 × 19 × 9cm square, depending on the plant

Planting depth is measured from the top of the aquatic basket to the water surface.

Plants supplied in 9cm pots require potting into suitable aquatic baskets before being placed in the pond.

Finofil baskets are manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable. Their fine dual-mesh construction helps retain aquatic soil while allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Basket shape may vary slightly depending on the plant and supplier availability.

Explore more oxygenating pond plants or browse our complete pond plants range.