Field horsetail – Equisetum arvense
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EmailEquisetum arvense L.
Equisetaceae (Horsetail family)
Field Horsetail: A Plant As Old As Time
Explore what it is about field horsetail that makes it so persistent and what the options are if it is undesirable.
MI Status
Native
Life cycle
Perennial, spore-producing plant.
Leaves
Not present.
Stems
Vegetative stems are green and branch in whorls. Stems may have a bottle-brush appearance and should not exceed 2 feet in height. Stems die back to the ground in winter.
Flowers and fruit
Erect, unbranched, white to brown fruiting stalks (stems) bear terminal spore-releasing cones. Flowers are not produced.
Reproduction
Spores and prolific rhizomes.
Similar weeds
Scouringrush (E. hyemale L.)
Differs by having larger evergreen stems with little or no branching. Grows only in wet areas.
