Rough Horsetail, Scouring Rush
Equisetum hyemale
Rough Horsetail is a non-blooming evergreen perennial found in moist woods and hills sides. The stiff and hollow plant stems grow rigidly upright and are bamboo-like with its stem nodes being marked with whorls of toothed scale-like leaves. A cone-like fruiting head appears at the tip of the stems containing spores. Rought Horsetail is an aggressive spreader. Prefers part sun and moist soils.
Type: |
|
Origins: |
Eurasia and North America |
Height: |
2’ - 4’ |
Spread: |
1’ - 6’ |
Spacing: |
4’ |
USDA Hardiness Zone: |
4 - 9 |
Culture: |
|
Bloom Color: |
N/A |
Season of Interest: |
MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance. Very aggressive spreader- if preemptive measures such as soil barriers are not taken before planting Rough Horsetail is extremely hard to remove. It can grow in standing water.
LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Garden, Native Gardens, Pond Edges, Water Gardens, and Containers.
COMPANION PLANTS: Cardinal Flower, Blue Flag, Swamp Milkweed
IMAGES: Thayne Tuason, Equisetum hyemale along Columbia River at Spanish Castle 1, CC BY-SA 4.0, (2) Photo by David J. Stang, Epimedium x youngianum Niveum 1zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (3) Consultaplantas, Equisetum hyemale 1c, CC BY-SA 4.0, (4) KENPEI, Equisetum hyemale5, CC BY-SA 3.0
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.
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