Field horsetail
Equisetum arvense
Family: Equisetaceae
What it is like
A rush like plant. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 40-60 cm high and spreads 30-45 cm wide. The stems are in rings which are tightly packed. They are 60 cm tall. They are slightly rough and have furrows along them. There are also branching stems which are short lived. The leaves are fine and feathery and light green.
There are about 29 Equisetum species. They grow in cool, damp places. It is used in medicine.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. They grow in wet places. It is best in swampy clayey soils. It needs a protected location. It is resistant to frost and damaged by drought. They spread by branching rhizomes. In China it grows from sea level to 3,700 m above sea level. In the Himalayas it grows between 3,300-4,050 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 2-9.
Countries/locations it is found in
Alaska, Andorra, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, China, Estonia, Europe, Falklands, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Haiti, Himalayas, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kurdistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Nepal, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scandinavia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Uzbekistan, West Indies
How it is used for food
CAUTION: It should probably only be used in small amounts or for short periods of time. The shoots have been eaten cooked as a vegetable and also used to make tea. It is the young spore bearing stems that are used. They can be preserved in oil. The shoots are used in soup. The side tubers are added to bread. The tubers are eaten fresh as a snack.
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is sold in local markets.
Edible parts
Root, tuber, stem, flower bud, vegetable
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by division.
Its other names
Local names
Akersnelle, Ashvavar, Common horsetail, Darhabro, Dziadzet, Kaweta, Kesatilgad, Khovoshch, Kitsenisad, Kjerringrokk, Matti, Mezei zsurlo, Piibusk, Polski kvosht, Savipahklid, Seatilk, Shave Brush, Soetteugi, Stolbiki, Sugina, Tiruma kosa