Horsetail, also known as Equisetum or Scouring Rush grows near ditches and streams. It is a living fossil as it grew among dinosaurs 300 million years ago surviving multiple mass extinctions. Horsetail has hollow, segmented stems rich in silica that give the stems a rough texture. Campers often bundle horsetail for scrubbing pots, thus the name “scouring rush.” It doesn’t flower and is a distant relative to ferns, spreading by spores. Herbalists prize horsetail’s silica for wound healing and for strengthening hair and bones.
Growing Home - Horsetail
