Mare’s Tail (Hippuris vulgaris)

Mare's Tail (Hippuris vulgaris)

A native oxygenating pond plant with upright bottlebrush foliage for pond shelves and wildlife habitats

Mare's Tail (Hippuris vulgaris) is a distinctive UK native oxygenating pond plant with upright bottlebrush like stems that rise from the water and create a natural, architectural look. It is especially useful for wildlife ponds, natural garden ponds and shallow shelves where you want oxygenating value with visible structure.

The plant grows from rooted stems and forms neat colonies in shallow water. Its vertical foliage provides shelter for amphibians, emerging insects and small pond creatures, while also helping soften pond edges and baskets.

During active growth, Mare's Tail contributes to the pond ecosystem by producing oxygen during daylight and using nutrients from the water and planting medium. It should be used as part of a balanced planting scheme rather than as a complete water quality solution on its own.

This plant is particularly good for creating a transition between fully submerged oxygenators and taller marginal plants. It looks natural around shelves, in wildlife ponds and alongside waterlilies, iris and lower growing marginals.

Mare's Tail is hardy, reliable and generally easy to care for. It may die back or reduce growth in winter before returning with fresh shoots in spring.

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Potted Oxygenators and Bunched Oxygenators

Potted oxygenators are supplied rooted in aquatic soil and are usually placed on pond shelves or in shallow water. They often provide useful cover near the water surface, making them valuable for amphibians, froglets and aquatic insects.

Bunched oxygenators are usually weighted and placed into deeper areas of the pond, where they can sink towards the pond floor and root into the substrate.

Mare's Tail is best used as a potted shallow water oxygenator and habitat plant rather than a loose deep water bunch. It provides visible upright cover near the water surface and pairs well with deeper bunched oxygenators.

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Key Benefits

• UK native oxygenating pond plant
• Distinctive upright bottlebrush foliage
• Excellent for shallow shelves and wildlife ponds
• Provides cover for amphibians and aquatic insects
• Adds visible structure as well as oxygenating value
• Hardy and reliable in UK ponds
• Works well with marginals, waterlilies and deeper oxygenators

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Reasons to Buy

• Ideal if you want an oxygenator with visible upright growth
• Excellent for natural and wildlife friendly planting schemes
• Useful for softening pond shelves and basket edges
• Easy to combine with bunched oxygenators
• A good choice for native pond planting

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Care Instructions

• Place the basket on a pond shelf with the top of the basket around 0cm to 30cm below the water surface.
• Grow in full sun or partial shade. Avoid planting where taller plants will completely shade the stems.
• Trim back tired stems in autumn or early spring if required. New growth normally returns from the rooted base in spring.
• Divide mature clumps every few years if the plant becomes crowded in its basket.

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Flowering Period

Mare’s Tail produces very small, inconspicuous flowers in summer. It is grown mainly for its upright green foliage and wildlife value.

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Size and Growing Conditions

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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 2 day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available basket sizes:

• 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
• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots

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

Plants supplied in 9cm pots will require potting into an aquatic basket 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.

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Similar pond plants

For another submerged or oxygenating choice, compare Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) and Miniature Pennywort (Hydrocotyle novae-zeelandiae).

Explore more oxygenating pond plants or browse our complete pond plants range. Need baskets, aquatic soil or planting essentials? Browse our pond plant baskets and aquatic planting supplies.

🇬🇧 UK-grown aquatic plant: Grown at a dedicated aquatic plant nursery in the South of England and carefully prepared for delivery across the UK.