Horsetail

Equisetum arvense

Horsetail

The Equisetaceae family of plants has been on the planet for nearly 300 million years (that’s not a typo). Horsetail is usually found in moist habitat and prefers non-chalky soil. It has separate sterile non-reproductive and fertile spore-bearing stems, growing from a perennial underground stem system. It spreads quickly by these spores and it’s underground rootstock, and can quickly invade a garden similar to bamboo. One of it’s common names; Bottlebrush refers to the “scratchy” nature of the stems as well as the shape of the plant. The plant is high in silica, which gives it this gritty texture. The young shoots of this plant have traditionally been eaten in traditional Japanese and Native American cultures.