Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
----------------
Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a native plant that is a relative of the fern.
Common horsetail is a descendent of a group of plants that grew to be the size of trees 350 million years ago.
It grows two separate stems. In early spring, the brown reproductive stem emerges to disperse spores. Then, the plant shoots up a green photosynthetic stem.
The young reproductive stems have been eaten by Native Americans and in Japan. It was used as an herbal remedy to treat wounds and as a diuretic.
Horsetail is unique in its ability to uptake high amounts of silicon from the soil. Horsetail is also capable of producing nicotine when it is growing in polluted conditions. For these reasons, eating large amounts of horsetail could lead to thiamine deficiency or nicotine toxicity.
Common horsetail is extremely difficult to remove in areas that it is unwanted as it produces rhizomes that can grow up to 6’ deep.
--
Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.
