Scouring Rush Horsetail

Sun Exposure: Light shade to part sun

Origin: Circumboreal, Northern America, south to Mexico, Europe, temperate Asia

Growth Habits: Bamboo-like perennial, height to 60 inches (1.5 m); stem diameter up to 0.5 inch (1.2 cm)

Watering Needs: Wet or swampy areas, it shouldn't be either totally under water or in dry soil

Propagation: Division of rhizomes

Can be invasive, and because of its very primitive stucture, different from modern plants and grasses, horsetails are generally not affected by herbicides.
This species can be distinguished from other unbranched Horsetails by its rough surfaced, evergreen stems, and its ashy grey bands at the stem joints.
The name 'scouring rush' comes from the fact that the stem contains a large number of small silicon crystals that act as a gentle but effective polish.

Blooming Habits:
Horsetails were already around before the dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are not flowering plants, and use spores rather than seeds. They bear cones, usually 1 inch long (2.5 cm)with sharp pointed tips, on short stalks at the tips of fertile stems.