Field horsetail is a native, flowerless plant found across much of the United States in moist fields, along streams, and in roadside ditches. In spring, tan shoots release before green stems with rings of slender branches appear.
Appearance
Appearance
Green stems that do not make spores are jointed, hollow, and usually 2–24 in (5–60 cm) tall, with rings of slender branches. Tan stems that make spores are unbranched, usually 2–12 in (5–30 cm) tall, and end in a blunt spore cone.
Growth form
It is a native perennial with an extensive rhizome system. The aboveground stems die back, while buds on the underground survive.
Meadow horsetail can have a green fertile stem with side branches. Field horsetail sends up a separate, unbranched tan fertile shoot in spring.
Why they get mixed up · Its summer shoots can look like a slender form of field horsetail.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
moist fields
streambanks
roadside ditches
open woods
Range
In North America it ranges from Newfoundland west to Alaska and south into much of the contiguous United States, including California, Texas, and the Southeast.
Preferred conditions
It is most common on moist soil, but established colonies can also appear on drier roadsides, railroad banks, and other disturbed ground.
Life cycle
Reproduction
It reproduces with spores and also spreads strongly through rhizomes. Even short broken rhizome pieces can sprout.
Growing it
Propagation
It does not make seeds; spores can travel by air, while most local expansion comes from underground growth.
Toxicity
Large amounts mixed into hay can poison livestock, especially horses. This is a caution, not a recommendation for human or animal use.
Name and classification
About the name
Field horsetail and common horsetail are names for this plant. Scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale) has fewer branches, and its common name is sometimes used for field horsetail too.
Conservation
IUCN Red List
LCLeast Concern·Low risk of extinction
Culture and stories
Culture and stories
Its rough stems have been used for scouring and polishing.