Hippuris vulgaris (Mare's Tail / Lidrus)

Hippuris vulgaris, the Mare's Tail or Water Horsetail (Lidrus in Dutch), is one of the most architecturally distinctive native aquatic plants of Belgian and Dutch waterways, creating an immediately recognizable silhouette with its unbranched upright stems densely ringed by whorls of soft, linear green leaves that give the emergent portions the look of tiny bottle brushes or miniature Christmas trees above the waterline. Below the surface, submerged stems carry longer, flexible leaves that sway gently in current and provide excellent habitat for aquatic invertebrates, small fish fry, and macro-organisms. Found naturally in ditches, pond margins, and slow-flowing streams across Europe, it tolerates a wide range of water depths from 10 to 50 cm. A valuable and attractive native plant for naturalistic pond designs in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Plant in fine to medium substrate in shallow water (10–50 cm depth) in full sun. Tolerates both submerged and emergent growth. Cold-hardy in Belgian and Dutch climates — dies back to rhizomes in winter and re-emerges reliably in spring. Spreads via underground rhizomes — contain with a planting basket if spread control is desired. No special substrate or fertilization required in established, naturally nutrient-rich pond water.