Alternative species (click on the thumbnail to see the card)
Names
Scientific name
Equisetum hyemale
Equisetum hyemale japonica
Common name
Horsetail
Snake grass
Puzzlegrass
Origin
Origin: Cameroon, Gabon
Ideal fertilization
No data
Group
Equisetaceae
Kind
Rhizome
Parameters
T°: supports -10°C or 14°F
pH: 5 to 8
Hardness: No data
Difficulty
Easy
Lighting
Average
Size
100 cm (40")
Plantation
Bank and pond
Growth
Fast
Presentation
Presentation
Who is the Horsetail?
This plant, exclusively reserved for outdoor ponds, is easy and rustic. It is in the form of a long hollow stem with black nodes. It is a perennial that does not looses its leaves in the winter. It can be associated with a massif to give visual structure and contrast around a pond. Finally, note that this is not a flowering plant.
Planting and maintenance
Planting and maintenance
How to plant and maintain the Horsetail?
It is planted near the pond, in a constantly wet soil, or directly in the pond, immersed at 5 cm or 2 inches (immersion tolerance ranging from 0 to 10 cm or 0 to 4 inches). The soil should be moderately rich and if possible with an acid tendency (potting soil for aquatic plants). The presence of cilice (clay) is also recommended.
Plant it in a well-defined area so that it does not over-invade your pond (use a tray, pot, root barrier...). In addition, it multiplies the stems in the same place which will be prettier. Allow 3 to 5 feet per m2 for a good base.
It will enjoy a sunny exposure to partial shade.
It resists cold and does not fear freezing. It should only be protected in case of temperature below -10°C or 14°F.
Finally, it does not require any size. However, remove the dry stems regularly.
Farming
Farming
How to farm the Horsetail?
They may tend to become invasive.
They can be farmed in two ways: either by a sexual farming, which takes place via a small yellowish cone that appears at the end of some stems (the spores are then spread in the water on rainy days), or by asexual farming by branching rhizomes.
We must therefore avoid planting them in open ground in places that promote their unlimited expansion. To overcome this multiplication, install a root barrier or leave it in a pot or tray. Indeed, it supports this type of maintenance perfectly and it will allow you to control it as you wish.
Good To know
Good To know
Find all additional information!
They are very old plants (400 million years old) and were used for a long time as medicinal plants.
Another advantage of this plant: no harmful insect is interested!
There are 25 varieties. Some examples:
Equisetum hyemale with an average height of 0.6 meters or 2 ft. To plant in wet or pond environment.
Equisetum japonicum or Equisetum hyemale japonicum with an average height of 0. meters or 3 ft. To plant in a humid environment or in a pond. It is semi-persistent and may lose its leaves in very cold winter.
Equisetum hyemale var robustum with an average height of 1.2 meters or 4 ft. To plant in a humid environment (prefers not to be covered with water).
Equisetum scirpoides with an average height of 15 cm or 6 inches, but the many stems can spread out 20 cm or 8 inches wide. To plant in humid environment or in basin (immersion to 10 cm or 4 inches possible).
Equisetum camtschatcense from a height of 1.2 to 1.5 meters or 4 to 5 ft. To plant in a humid environment. More resistant to drought than other horsetails.
Equisetum fluviatile from a height of 40 to 60 cm or 16 to 24 inches. To plant in a humid environment or in a pond.
Equisetum telmateia with an average height of 1.2 meters or 4 ft. To plant in a humid environment.
Equisetum americanum with an average height of 1.8 meters or 6 ft. To plant in a humid environment or in a pond.
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