Ferns are not particularly palatable to horses as they taste bitter. However, during the autumn months when the ferns have died back and become bracken, there’s a danger that hungry horses will ingest them. A large quantity of fern/bracken would have to be eaten to cause the following obvious symptoms: Read more…
Field horsetail, Equisetum arvense, is a tenacious perennial native to the temperate and arctic regions across the northern hemisphere, including the Pacific Northwest. Are horsetails native to Washington state? Impact: Although Field Horsetail is a native plant in the Pacific Northwest, it is considered a nuisance weed to gardeners and Read more…
One of the most common of fern-allies is the family Equisetaceae, the horsetails. What are allies of ferns? Historically, several groups of plants were considered “fern allies”: the clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts in the Lycopodiophyta, the whisk ferns in Psilotaceae, and the horsetails in the Equisetaceae. What is the difference Read more…
While it is the stems that carry out photosynthesis, Equisetum does have true leaves. The scalelike leaves are found at the nodes and form a collar like structure just above the node. They are fused into a sheath around the stem. Do horsetails have true roots and leaves? Some even Read more…
Horsetail grows in wet conditions and can even grow in standing water. For this reason, it is commonly used to decorate water gardens or swampy areas where few other plants can survive. It’s also commonly grown as an accent along borders or in large patio pots, similar to how ornamental Read more…
Because the stems are rough and durable (due to their high silica content) they were called “scouring rushes” because early pioneers used them to scrub pots and pans. Both scouring rush and horsetail prefer moist soil, but either will tolerate fairly dry soil after they become established. Is horsetail a Read more…
Horsetails (Equisetum arvense) are hollow-stemmed plants that anchor deep into the ground by an extensive, creeping root system. What is unique about the structure of horsetails? Horsetail has several distinguishing characteristics. One such characteristic is horsetail’s hollow stems (Figures 1 and 3). Its stems also are jointed, can easily be Read more…
horsetail, (genus Equisetum), also called scouring rush, fifteen species of rushlike conspicuously jointed perennial herbs, the only living genus of plants in the order Equisetales and the class Equisetopsida. What is the difference between a horsetail and a scouring rush? Giant horsetail (Equisetum telmateia) is very similar to field horsetail Read more…
High potency bamboo silica will always produce greater results than its horsetail counterpart. If you’re still debating between horsetail and bamboo silica, just know that there’s no comparison. Bamboo silica is clearly the superior choice. Is bamboo silica better than horsetail silica? Bamboo Silica Bamboo actually possesses the richest amount Read more…
Because they are better able to survive in various environments, you can find them from very northern and southern latitudes to the equator. Unlike ferns, these are tough plants. While ferns are soft, horsetails are rough plants and even have silica (silicon-based compound) in their epidermal cells. What is the Read more…