diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/stem_orientation.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/stem_orientation.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..727c9c6ec60f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/stem_orientation.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Added *orientation* parameter for stem plots
+--------------------------------------------
+
+By default, stem lines are vertical. They can be changed to horizontal using
+the *orientation* parameter of `.Axes.stem` or `.pyplot.stem`:
+
+.. plot::
+
+    locs = np.linspace(0.1, 2 * np.pi, 25)
+    heads = np.cos(locs)
+
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.stem(locs, heads, orientation='horizontal')
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index e5846422b9f9..d0ecdcdca7a1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -2723,27 +2723,32 @@ def broken_barh(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
 
     @_preprocess_data()
     def stem(self, *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
-             label=None, use_line_collection=True):
+             label=None, use_line_collection=True, orientation='vertical'):
         """
         Create a stem plot.
 
-        A stem plot plots vertical lines at each *x* location from the baseline
-        to *y*, and places a marker there.
+        A stem plot draws lines perpendicular to a baseline at each location
+        *locs* from the baseline to *heads*, and places a marker there. For
+        vertical stem plots (the default), the *locs* are *x* positions, and
+        the *heads* are *y* values. For horizontal stem plots, the *locs* are
+        *y* positions, and the *heads* are *x* values.
 
         Call signature::
 
-          stem([x,] y, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None)
+          stem([locs,] heads, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None)
 
-        The x-positions are optional. The formats may be provided either as
-        positional or as keyword-arguments.
+        The *locs*-positions are optional. The formats may be provided either
+        as positional or as keyword-arguments.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        x : array-like, optional
-            The x-positions of the stems. Default: (0, 1, ..., len(y) - 1).
+        locs : array-like, default: (0, 1, ..., len(heads) - 1)
+            For vertical stem plots, the x-positions of the stems.
+            For horizontal stem plots, the y-positions of the stems.
 
-        y : array-like
-            The y-values of the stem heads.
+        heads : array-like
+            For vertical stem plots, the y-values of the stem heads.
+            For horizontal stem plots, the x-values of the stem heads.
 
         linefmt : str, optional
             A string defining the properties of the vertical lines. Usually,
@@ -2774,8 +2779,12 @@ def stem(self, *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
         basefmt : str, default: 'C3-' ('C2-' in classic mode)
             A format string defining the properties of the baseline.
 
+        orientation : str, default: 'vertical'
+            If 'vertical', will produce a plot with stems oriented vertically,
+            otherwise the stems will be oriented horizontally.
+
         bottom : float, default: 0
-            The y-position of the baseline.
+            The y/x-position of the baseline (depending on orientation).
 
         label : str, default: None
             The label to use for the stems in legends.
@@ -2803,17 +2812,24 @@ def stem(self, *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
         if not 1 <= len(args) <= 5:
             raise TypeError('stem expected between 1 and 5 positional '
                             'arguments, got {}'.format(args))
+        cbook._check_in_list(['horizontal', 'vertical'],
+                             orientation=orientation)
 
         if len(args) == 1:
-            y, = args
-            x = np.arange(len(y))
+            heads, = args
+            locs = np.arange(len(heads))
             args = ()
         else:
-            x, y, *args = args
+            locs, heads, *args = args
 
-        self._process_unit_info(xdata=x, ydata=y)
-        x = self.convert_xunits(x)
-        y = self.convert_yunits(y)
+        if orientation == 'vertical':
+            self._process_unit_info(xdata=locs, ydata=heads)
+            locs = self.convert_xunits(locs)
+            heads = self.convert_yunits(heads)
+        else:
+            self._process_unit_info(xdata=heads, ydata=locs)
+            heads = self.convert_xunits(heads)
+            locs = self.convert_yunits(locs)
 
         # defaults for formats
         if linefmt is None:
@@ -2864,7 +2880,14 @@ def stem(self, *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
 
         # New behaviour in 3.1 is to use a LineCollection for the stemlines
         if use_line_collection:
-            stemlines = [((xi, bottom), (xi, yi)) for xi, yi in zip(x, y)]
+            if orientation == 'horizontal':
+                stemlines = [
+                    ((bottom, loc), (head, loc))
+                    for loc, head in zip(locs, heads)]
+            else:
+                stemlines = [
+                    ((loc, bottom), (loc, head))
+                    for loc, head in zip(locs, heads)]
             if linestyle is None:
                 linestyle = rcParams['lines.linestyle']
             stemlines = mcoll.LineCollection(stemlines, linestyles=linestyle,
@@ -2874,16 +2897,34 @@ def stem(self, *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
         # Old behaviour is to plot each of the lines individually
         else:
             stemlines = []
-            for xi, yi in zip(x, y):
-                l, = self.plot([xi, xi], [bottom, yi],
+            for loc, head in zip(locs, heads):
+                if orientation == 'horizontal':
+                    xs = [bottom, head]
+                    ys = [loc, loc]
+                else:
+                    xs = [loc, loc]
+                    ys = [bottom, head]
+                l, = self.plot(xs, ys,
                                color=linecolor, linestyle=linestyle,
                                marker=linemarker, label="_nolegend_")
                 stemlines.append(l)
 
-        markerline, = self.plot(x, y, color=markercolor, linestyle=markerstyle,
+        if orientation == 'horizontal':
+            marker_x = heads
+            marker_y = locs
+            baseline_x = [bottom, bottom]
+            baseline_y = [np.min(locs), np.max(locs)]
+        else:
+            marker_x = locs
+            marker_y = heads
+            baseline_x = [np.min(locs), np.max(locs)]
+            baseline_y = [bottom, bottom]
+
+        markerline, = self.plot(marker_x, marker_y,
+                                color=markercolor, linestyle=markerstyle,
                                 marker=markermarker, label="_nolegend_")
 
-        baseline, = self.plot([np.min(x), np.max(x)], [bottom, bottom],
+        baseline, = self.plot(baseline_x, baseline_y,
                               color=basecolor, linestyle=basestyle,
                               marker=basemarker, label="_nolegend_")
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index 70389be97e39..62076a4a6e36 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -3018,11 +3018,13 @@ def stackplot(
 @_copy_docstring_and_deprecators(Axes.stem)
 def stem(
         *args, linefmt=None, markerfmt=None, basefmt=None, bottom=0,
-        label=None, use_line_collection=True, data=None):
+        label=None, use_line_collection=True, orientation='vertical',
+        data=None):
     return gca().stem(
         *args, linefmt=linefmt, markerfmt=markerfmt, basefmt=basefmt,
         bottom=bottom, label=label,
         use_line_collection=use_line_collection,
+        orientation=orientation,
         **({"data": data} if data is not None else {}))
 
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_axes/stem_orientation.png b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_axes/stem_orientation.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..21614d974311
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_axes/stem_orientation.png differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index 9b739aabc1ae..84b13405af33 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -3245,14 +3245,13 @@ def test_hist_stacked_weighted():
 @image_comparison(['stem.png'], style='mpl20', remove_text=True)
 def test_stem(use_line_collection):
     x = np.linspace(0.1, 2 * np.pi, 100)
-    args = (x, np.cos(x))
-    # Label is a single space to force a legend to be drawn, but to avoid any
-    # text being drawn
-    kwargs = dict(linefmt='C2-.', markerfmt='k+', basefmt='C1-.',
-                  label=' ', use_line_collection=use_line_collection)
 
     fig, ax = plt.subplots()
-    ax.stem(*args, **kwargs)
+    # Label is a single space to force a legend to be drawn, but to avoid any
+    # text being drawn
+    ax.stem(x, np.cos(x),
+            linefmt='C2-.', markerfmt='k+', basefmt='C1-.', label=' ',
+            use_line_collection=use_line_collection)
 
     ax.legend()
 
@@ -3279,6 +3278,18 @@ def test_stem_dates():
     ax.stem(xs, ys, "*-")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("use_line_collection", [True, False],
+                         ids=['w/ line collection', 'w/o line collection'])
+@image_comparison(['stem_orientation.png'], style='mpl20', remove_text=True)
+def test_stem_orientation(use_line_collection):
+    x = np.linspace(0.1, 2*np.pi, 50)
+
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.stem(x, np.cos(x),
+            linefmt='C2-.', markerfmt='kx', basefmt='C1-.',
+            use_line_collection=use_line_collection, orientation='horizontal')
+
+
 @image_comparison(['hist_stacked_stepfilled_alpha'])
 def test_hist_stacked_stepfilled_alpha():
     # make some data