Caution is advised to make certain you are harvesting E. arvense.

Once established, it has roots that extend to 2m deep, and spreads by means of creeping rhizomes. Horsetail has the ability to accumulate gold in its tissues as well as cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. Q What is horsetail/marestail?

Plant characteristics and classification of the field horsetail Origin and distribution of the field horsetail. Field horsetail is also known as marestail.

Field horsetail is a common garden weed. Horsetail is very astringent and makes an excellent clotting agent, staunching wounds, stopping nosebleeds and reducing the coughing up of blood. Weed of the Month: Field Horsetail - Brooklyn Botanic Garden Horsetail is a primitive plant that reproduces via spores and rhizomes.

It flourishes on damp soil. In spring, fertile light brown stems, 20-50cm (10-20in) tall, appear with a cone-like spore producing structure at the end of the stems.

Horsetail is easily recognised by its upright, fir tree-like shoots that appear in summer. Maybe that's why it's been around for 300 million years.

The accumulation of silica deposits in the stems gives them a rough, abrasive texture.

Medicinal use of Field Horsetail: Horsetails have an unusual chemistry compared to most other plants. A There are two species of horsetail/marestail, field (Equisetum arvense) and giant horsetail (E. telmateia), whose tendency to take over patches of ground with their impenetrable, jointed, whorled stems presents a real challenge to gardeners.

Horsetail to many foragers in the UK is considered edible.

Caption: Horsetail is very deep rooted which makes it hard to kill In summer, sterile green shoots develop into fir tree-like plants, 60cm (2ft) tall.

In this instance I am specifically referring to the use of Equisetum arvense, which can be confused with Equisetum palustre (potentially toxic, see Mills and Bone) and Equisetum pratense. The plant produces light-brown stems in late spring, topped with cone-like structures, and these are followed by light-green shoots up to 60cm in height. The field horsetail is probably the most important member of the... Systematics of Equisetum arvense.

They are rich in silica, contain several alkaloids (including nicotine) and various minerals.

It's tenacious and can spread like crazy.