Equisetum fluviatile

Common Name: Water Horsetail

Plant Type: Grass/Sedge/Rush

Habitat: Cattail marshes, swamps, shrubby bogs, borders and shallow water of ponds, low areas along creeks, and ditches that often have standing water.

Light Requirements: Part shade – sun

Soil Moisture: Wet – Moist

Soil Type: Mud, sand, and/or organic material

Height: 1-4ft

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Details/Comments: Reproduces both by spores and vegetatively by rhizomes. It primarily reproduces by vegetative means, with the majority of shoots arising from rhizomes.This plant can spread aggressively from its rhizomes. It is very winter-hardy. Is sometimes seen as an invasive species because it is very hardy and tends to overwhelm other garden plants. Plant in a container if required. Horsetails absorb heavy metals from the soil, and are often used in bioassays for metals. I will not spread into, meaningfully, dry areas.Various monophagous or oligophagous insects are known to feed on horsetails (Equisetum spp.). These species include the larvae of leaf-mining flies (some Liriomyza spp.), leaf beetles (Hippuriphila spp.), larvae of sawflies (some Dolerus spp.), Grypus equiseti (Horsetail Weevil), and Anoecia equiseti (an aphid). In North America, most of these species have been observed to feed on Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), while similar species in Europe have been observed to feed on Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) and other horsetails.Among vertebrate animals, the stems of horsetails are eaten by the American Moose and Muskrat. Colonies of Water Horsetail help to provide cover for various invertebrate and vertebrate animals, including wetland birds. Dragonflies sometimes use the apices of stems and cones as perching sites. In addition, it is an important component of the spring and early summer diet of black bears.

Botanical Name (Alt): Equisetum limosum

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