Equisetum hyemale L.

Common name: scouring rush horsetail   -from Latin equus (horse) and saeta (bristle)

Families of vascular plants, horsetails reproduce by spores rather than seeds.  For over one hundred million years the equisetum family dominated the sub canopy of late Paleozoic forests.  They are known as living fossils.

Horsetails are a valuable dynamic accumulator plant very rich in silica but also in magnesium, calcium and iron. As it decomposes these nutrients become available to soil organisms and ultimately our plants.

They are wonderful for bog gardens and for covering a wet low spot where nothing else will grow; always taking care not to let it become invasive to native populations.

Uses:

The leaves are used as a dye and give a soft green color; its extract is often used to provide silica for supplementation.  It’s also used as a fungicide, liquid feed; musical instrument; paper; parasiticide; polish; sandpaper; scourer.