Plant ID/Horsetail!?

ATP

Joined
Jan 14, 2022
Messages
259
Reaction score
262
Location
Saratoga, NY
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
Have a plant I have not seen before coming up in my bog. Online searches lead me to horsetail, which is something I never purposefully added. Can anyone confirm this is horsetail from the pics?
IMG_7099.jpeg
IMG_7097.jpeg
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2022
Messages
84
Reaction score
80
Location
Northwest Indiana
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
Not sure. I have 'Horsetail Rush' and it looks nothing like that? I don't have a pic on my phone, but found this online.

I dug some out last year by my parents house, near a farmers ditch for watering. It's aggressive. Spreads and I have to rip up new rhizomes maybe twice a year.

But I did look up yours and oddly.... they call it horsetail too. So maybe just nicknames? Mine is 'Equisetum hyemale' I believe.

I think yours may be 'Equisetum arvense' or something similar.

1000000749.png
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,558
Reaction score
10,686
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
I don't believe its horse tail rush but its close in species. i've seen it in damp fields. the flower or cob is a dead give away
 

ATP

Joined
Jan 14, 2022
Messages
259
Reaction score
262
Location
Saratoga, NY
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
Why fix what's not broke
Its just in my bog, so I guess I could let it go and see what happens. its taking up nutrients after all. I know there are some plant species people stay away from and I have tried to stick to the recommended plant list. This one must have hitchhiked or blown in.
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
33,102
Reaction score
20,360
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
Its just in my bog, so I guess I could let it go and see what happens. its taking up nutrients after all. I know there are some plant species people stay away from and I have tried to stick to the recommended plant list. This one must have hitchhiked or blown in.
Hope it's not the horrible Horsetail that takes over gardens! My neighbor got some composted soil once from someone and it was in there and it came up and they had to fight w/it for years. They moved away and not sure if it still comes up now for the new neighbors or not. Haven't seen it and I didn't ask.
Found out online on possible ways to try and get rid of it here: https://gardeningsheet.com/kill-horsetail/
 

ATP

Joined
Jan 14, 2022
Messages
259
Reaction score
262
Location
Saratoga, NY
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
Hope it's not the horrible Horsetail that takes over gardens! My neighbor got some composted soil once from someone and it was in there and it came up and they had to fight w/it for years. They moved away and not sure if it still comes up now for the new neighbors or not. Haven't seen it and I didn't ask.
Found out online on possible ways to try and get rid of it here: https://gardeningsheet.com/kill-horsetail/
I wouldnt be suprised if it was. Shouldnt be to bad to pull out of the pea gravel bog. There is a lot of it though.
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2022
Messages
84
Reaction score
80
Location
Northwest Indiana
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
My horsetail (and I have some cat tails).... in the bog... I just check in spring and summer (twice) to manage it. I pull the spreading rhizomes where I don't want it to spread... and kind of let it go other directions till it'll eventually fill in. Just takes a little TLC once a year a lot maybe twice if your like me. Has always worked out (so far).

I think if you just let it go.... it'll take over for sure. I have mint in there and that is the most aggressive. But I just trim it back twice a year. So far so good. The pea gravel makes it pretty easy... plus I like to walk around in the bog filter with bare feet on a hot day to trim/clean. Win win!
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2023
Messages
256
Reaction score
82
Hardiness Zone
7A
The horsetail I have barely survives in my conditions, but probably cause in shade it cant get a leg up, it just struggles. Had some plants in a bucket of water for 7-8 months, just planted the horsetail in the bog today, ton of sun there so should be better.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,558
Reaction score
10,686
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
Horsetail is one of those plants that does not get established over night BUT i will send out runners and the next you know its everywhere
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
30,930
Messages
510,212
Members
13,150
Latest member
younkelk

Latest Threads

Top