horsetail
Equisetum hyemale
USDA zones4 to 10
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size2 to 4 feet tall1 to 6 feet wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Not applicable
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) is a fern for containers and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. The evergreen stems are jointed, hollow, and upright, and dragonflies use them as perches. It sits low on the menu for deer. It spreads, so grow it in a pot with no holes and watch that it does not creep over the edge.
Pairs well with Lamp rush, Pickerel weed, and Lizard's tail.
Native range
AK, AL, AR, AZ, and 55 more places. See all 59
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC, and SK.