Have you ever planted something in your garden and years later regretted it? There are several plants in my garden that fit that bill. One such plant is horsetail or scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale). Over the years, it has spread rapidly in a shady, wet garden area and now it pops up in my lawn.
I planted horsetail over 20 years ago because it is such an unusual plant. It has dark green, tall, spiky stems, like bamboo, without typical leaves and flowers. It looks like a plant that was around when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, and in fact, it was. The Equisetum family, Equisetaceae, is ancient, dating back over 300 million years ago.
Horsetail is native to North America and grows in all states except Hawaii. It is also native to northern Europe and Asia. It can be found in moist to wet areas, such as wetlands, bogs, ditches, ponds, and streams. It can thrive in soil where few other plants can survive.
On the left is the spore-bearing cone of horsetail (Equisetum hyemale), and on the right are the dark leaves at the joints of the stems.
Ginger E. Long, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Horsetail is an evergreen perennial in USDA planting zones 4 through 9. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall in sun and shade. Tiny black leaves surround the stem at the nodes or joints. The stems are cylindrical and hollow. They contain silica, which early Americans used to scrub pots, pans, and sand wood.
Horsetail reproduces two ways, without flowering. The first and most prolific way is via rhizomes, which are modified stems that grow at or just beneath the soil surface. It spreads quickly via rhizomes, especially in wet soils. Since it does not flower, it produces spores, much like ferns. The plant produces a stem with a cone containing the spores, releasing them in mid-summer.
The best way to enjoy this unique plant is in a pot! Look for a pot with no hole in the bottom so that water is retained, and the plant cannot spread. Pots can be placed alongside ponds or in ponds. Check the pots regularly to ensure rhizomes are not creeping over the sides. Monitor the area for plants coming up from spores and remove them immediately before the rhizome has a chance to grow and spread.
Horsetail spreads aggressively in wet soils, such as along the banks of roadside ditches or the edges of waterways.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson Extension
This plant is toxic to wildlife, especially horses, when eaten in large quantities.
Contact your county Livestock and Forages Agent for help with this plant in pastures.
Contact your county Water Resources Agent for help with this plant in wetlands, ponds, and other freshwater areas.
