Equisetum sylvaticum
wood horsetail
Circumboreal: northern North America, Europe, Asia
Deer Resistant
Native to North America
Overview
Equisetum sylvaticum is a spore-bearing perennial of the horsetail family rather than a flowering plant, spreading by deep, dark rhizomes to form colonies in damp, shaded ground. Hollow, jointed, ridged stems rise 10-24 inches (25-60 cm) tall, each node ringed with whorls of slender lateral branches that themselves branch again and arch outward and downward, giving the plant a soft, lace-like outline. In early spring, pale brown fertile shoots appear first, each tipped with a single cone-like strobilus that releases green spores; these shoots then green up and produce the branched summer growth. There are no true broad leaves: photosynthesis takes place in the green stems and branches, while the leaves are reduced to small scales fused into sheaths at each node. It grows in moist woodland, boggy clearings, ditches, and streamsides on acidic soils across the cooler northern hemisphere. The deep rhizomes make established colonies hard to remove, and the stems contain thiaminase, which is poisonous to grazing animals. It tolerates wet, low-nutrient conditions where many plants fail.
Native Range
Found across the cooler northern hemisphere, including northern and central Europe, northern Asia, and northern North America from Alaska and Canada south to the northern United States.Suggested Uses
Used in bog gardens, pond margins, and damp shaded native plantings where its spreading habit is acceptable. It stabilizes wet, acidic ground along streams and ditches. It is unsuited to mixed borders because of its invasive rhizomes.How to Identify
Growing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight