As gardeners we try to make plants grow and keep the weeds under control. Sometimes we plant things we shouldn’t. One of my biggest gardening mistakes was planting Equisetum, commonly known as horsetail, in my garden, twenty years and three properties ago! Along with my mistake comes a confession. I committed a “no-no” by digging up my first plant along the side of the Merced River! And now the payback!
I didn’t realize it was so invasive. I wanted some because it adds an interesting contrast in certain garden situations. I also like to use it in flower arrangements. Every time I moved, I took “starts” of some plants to my new garden and some of the horsetail roots were hiding with the roots of those plants. Every time I moved there were some of its roots hiding with other plants. And now, I have horsetail coming up in many areas of my garden, even through the very dense, strong roots, and leaves, of acorus ‘Ogon’! Neither digging nor herbicides has made any dent in the forward travels of this plant in my garden!
These “hitchhiking” plants are suggested by Sunset Western Garden Book to plant “with caution,” and “best to use in containers.” However, even in containers, they might need to be root pruned periodically, especially if these pots are placed on ground in the garden, and not on a concrete patio. I have seen it used very artistically in long, narrow, rectangular pots in which the tall, straight stems grow thickly and to about 4 feet tall. The picture above is a good example of this. In fact, I used this idea for a garden client’s patio where it is a very effective screen between the patio and the walkway to the front door. However, the concrete pots are on a narrow bed of soil and the owners are very mindful of not letting the roots escape from the bottom of the pots’ drain holes!
Here are some pictures of the plant with its roots or rhizomes. They are black and only a very small piece left in the soil will start a new plant. You can see the black root best on the lower right. Also see the plant separated into segments. Didn’t we all play with these as kids and love pulling them apart? Another positive thing about this invasive plant, it is fun to use in floral arrangements, especially in Ikibana, where the stems are bent into triangles and artistically arranged with other flowers.
My husband is not happy with horsetail. He has helped pulled it, sprayed it, excavated it, and nothing helps. Sadly some of these efforts have probably helped it spread.
Once horsetail is in your garden, you can control it, but you won’t get rid of it. It is believed to be one of the oldest plants on earth, and why do we think we can control it?
me with new ideas, and for a while I forgot it was winter!