Horsetail contains silicon, which helps strengthen bone. For that reason, some practitioners recommend horsetail as a treatment for osteoporosis. It is also used as a diuretic, and as an ingredient in some cosmetics. Do horsetails produce flowers? Field horsetail does not produce flowers or seeds. For reproduction, it relies heavily Read more…
Ferns, club mosses, horsetails, and whisk ferns are seedless vascular plants that reproduce with spores and are found in moist environments. Are horsetails seeded plants? Seedless vascular plants are a part of the tracheophytes. They possess vascular tissues such as xylem and phloem, but do not produce seeds or flowers Read more…
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 characteristics would you use to distinguish a fern from a horsetail? 1. Horsetails grow in marshy areas, while ferns primarily grow in woodland settings (though Read more…
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…