Equisetum hyemale, a living fossil

Horsetail Rush (Equisetum hymeale) is a common sight in the wetlands of Florida. Tough and enduring, this plant can easily colonize small spaces that are inhospitable for other plants or it can flourish in waterlogged roadside ditches. This species has also been used extensively in ornamental gardening, especially within Japanese style plantings.

Not only is this plant lovely, it is also useful. Equisetum hymale is also known as 'Scouring Rush'. Bundles of this rush can be grouped together to form a tight gathering of plants. When the ends are trimmed evenly, this tough bunch of rushes can be used to clean anything from dishes to floors. In Japan, this species is used in a similar manner for fine polishing on woodwork projects.

Growing up to three feet in height, Equisetum is hollow in the center just like bamboo. Tiny tubes in the outer wall of the plant mark this genus as one of the most primitive vascular plants still living today. Equisetum is also considered a living fossil.

Origins of Equisetum, from Floridata

"The scouring rushes are ancient plants that were dominant in the latter part of the Paleozoic Era (360-250 million years ago). There were many genera and species, some as large as trees. Scouring rushes and their relatives were especially dominant plants in swampy areas during the Carboniferous Period (360-290 million years ago) of the Paleozoic Era, and were abundant among the deposits of vegetation that later were transformed into coal. Since then they all have gone extinct except for one genus with a couple dozen species, living relics from an age millions of years before the dinosaurs existed! Scouring rush has been used to scour cooking utensils, and is still harvested commercially in northern Mexico for polishing fine furniture." See whole article here.

Some of the Equisetum species of the past reached up to 30 feet in height and at times dominated the landscape for millions of years at a time. A 150 million year old Equisetum fossil found in Patagonia in 2011 helps to secure this genus as the oldest surviving group of plants on Earth. Early forerunners of this genus are the petrified trees that are found today. These and other similar plants that broke down in swamps and bogs spent millions of years becoming coal deposits.

Equisetum can be fairly aggressive in a home landscape. If you'd like to plant this and not have it end up everywhere, consider using a container garden or sinks some deep barriers around your planting. Hosetail Rush spread mostly by rhizomes underground so you need to do a bit of work to keep it from wandering.