Dwarf Horsetail Equisetum scirpoides
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Equisetum hyemale var. tenellum
- Equisetum reptans
- Hippochaete scirpoides
- Phonetic Spelling
- ek-wis-SEE-tum skir-POI-deez
- Description
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Dwarf horsetail is an herbaceous, evergreen, non-flowering perennial in the Equisetaceae (horsetail) family. It is native to the subarctic and temperate northern hemisphere including northern U.S., Alaska, Canada, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, China and Mongolia. It has also been introduced into Belgium and Great Britain. It forms clumps of slender, wiry, unbranched stalks up to 1 foot tall. The upright stems have a curly or zig-zag habit, with segmented joints where a sheath of very small, dark, scale-like leaves is arranged in a ring around each joint. It forms both fertile and infertile shoots. This plant reproduces by means of a spore-bearing cone that forms a sharp point at the tip of fertile stems. Spores are released in early to mid-summer or in the spring after over-wintering. Plants also spread by means of rhizomes. It is found in sun or shade in moist habitats with sandy soil such as wetlands, ditches, swamps, ponds, shorelines and other shallow waters.
The genus name is from Latin equus (horse) and seta (bristle). The species name is from Latin scirpus (rush).
Native Americans have used this plant as a food source and as a scouring material, due to its rough texture. It also provides a beneficial habitat for small wildlife and grizzly bears forage on it.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Spreads by rhizomes
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Equisetum
- Species:
- scirpoides
- Family:
- Equisetaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Food
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Northern hemisphere
- Distribution:
- Northern U.S., Canada, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, China, Mongolia
- Wildlife Value:
- Provides habitat for wildlife and food for aquatic animals
- Play Value:
- Textural
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Water Plant
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Frequent Standing Water
- Moist
- Occasional Flooding
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- No fruits. Reproduces by spores that are housed in small cone-like structures on top of fertile stems
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No flowers
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Black
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Whorled
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are reduced to black scale-like structures at the joints of the stems
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Green jointed stems with ridges
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Container
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Rain Garden
- Water Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Reptiles
- Small Mammals
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Wet Soil