Equisetum hyemale ~ Rough Horsetail, Scouring Rush

Equisetum hyemale ~ Rough Horsetail, Scouring RushRough Horsetail is a non blooming evergreen perennial found in moist woods and hills sides. The stiff and hollow plant stems grow rigidly upright and are bamboo like with its stem nodes being marked with whorls of toothed scale like leaves. A cone like fruiting head appears at the tip of the stems containing spores. Rought Horsetail is an aggressive spreader. Prefers part sun and moist soils. Type: Perennial Origins: Eurasia and North America Height:

Rough Horsetail is a non-blooming evergreen perennial found in moist woods and hills sides.  The stiff and hollow plant stems grow rigidly upright and are bamboo-like with its stem nodes being marked with whorls of toothed scale-like leaves.  A cone-like fruiting head appears at the tip of the stems containing spores.  Rought Horsetail is an aggressive spreader.  Prefers part sun and moist soils.  

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance.  Very aggressive spreader- if preemptive measures such as soil barriers are not taken before planting Rough Horsetail is extremely hard to remove.  It can grow in standing water.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Garden, Native Gardens, Pond Edges, Water Gardens, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Cardinal Flower, Blue Flag, Swamp Milkweed

IMAGES: Thayne Tuason, Equisetum hyemale along Columbia River at Spanish Castle 1, CC BY-SA 4.0, (2) Photo by David J. Stang, Epimedium x youngianum Niveum 1zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (3) Consultaplantas, Equisetum hyemale 1c, CC BY-SA 4.0, (4) KENPEI, Equisetum hyemale5, CC BY-SA 3.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.