Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Common Characteristics in Horsetail Plants
Common Characteristics in Horsetail Plants. Some 25 species of annual and perennial horsetails in the Equisetaceae family of plants grow in wetlands and marshy, wet areas at the edge of swamps, ponds and lakes. Horsetails are vascular plants that reproduce by spores, not seeds, and by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. The common field...
Some 25 species of annual and perennial horsetails in the Equisetaceae family of plants grow in wetlands and marshy, wet areas at the edge of swamps, ponds and lakes. Horsetails are vascular plants that reproduce by spores, not seeds, and by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. The common field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a perennial that grows up to 2 feet tall.
Description
Horsetails, related to ferns, are considered living fossils. Fossils of horsetail the size of trees have been found in coal beds that date to the Paleozoic era, 251 to 542 million years ago.
Horsetails grow two hollow stems. In the early spring horsetails grow single stems each of which bears a reproductive cone called a strobilus. A horsetail strobilus is ? to 1 ? inches long. Later in the spring, horsetails grow vegetative stems that have whorls of slender, jointed-branches. What appear to be small, scale-like leaves grow in a whorl at the base of each stem forming a sheath. These are not true leaves; horsetails conduct photosynthesis through chlorophyll in their stems. An unbranched, fertile shoot of the common field horsetail is from 4 to 6 inches tall. The infertile shoots are from 6 inches to 2 feet tall. Scouring rushes (Equisetum hyemale L.) resemble horsetails but do not have branches. Mare's tail (Hippuris vulgaris) also resemble horsetails.
Reproduction
The cone-like reproductive strobilus on the top of the thick horsetail stem releases spores in the form of a light yellow powder. The spores burrow into the soil. Branching, underground horsetail rhizomes grow up to 3 feet deep and contain nodes that can grow new plants.
Silica
Because of the high concentration of silica in their tissue, horsetails have been traditionally used by Europeans, Native Americans and American pioneers to polish furniture and scrub pots and cooking utensils. This silica has been extracted for use in diuretic medicines. More than 20 percent horsetail in the forage can paralyze or kill horses.
Elimination
Eliminating horsetails by digging them up is nearly impossible because their rhizomes are brittle and break easily; each piece can sprout and grow into a new plant. Horticulturalists at the University of Minnesota recommend triclopyr, a systemic herbicide. You can use triclopyr near wetlands but not in the water. You should contact your local agricultural extension office or department of natural resources before you use triclopyr in a wetland.
