Elegia capensis
Horsetail Restio
Description
This attractive perennial resembles a grass gone wild. Stalks reach 6'-8' tall, with even spacing of long feathery branches and paper-like bracts. Plants can spread 7' wide. Clusters of small brown flowers appear above foliage in fall and winter. This plant needs constant moisture and well draining soil in full or part sun. It is dramatic when moving in the wind.
Sun
Half
Water
Medium
Growth Rate
Moderate
Soil Type
Sandy, Loam
Soil Condition
Rich, Well-drained
Soil pH
Neutral
Adverse Factors
n/a
Change spray sprinklers to low-flow bubbler or drip systems. Shrubs and trees are ideal candidates for this type of irrigation because the water is applied directly to the root zones.