Plant Database
Fountain Rush
Elegia capensis
Elegia capensis, commonly known as Fountain Rush or Horsetail Restio, is a striking, architectural evergreen perennial prized for its tall, arching, bamboo-like stems and feathery, whorled branchlets. Native to South Africa, this dramatic plant forms a dense, clumping fountain of upright, then gracefully arching, hollow, green stems (culms) adorned with distinctive whorls of fine, needle-like branchlets at regular intervals. Small, brownish, scale-like leaves (sheaths) occur at the nodes. In late spring, it produces small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers at the stem tips, followed by small brown capsules. Exceptionally moisture-loving, it is an outstanding choice for bog gardens, pond margins, rain gardens, and containers, where its unique, textural form adds vertical interest and a tropical feel.