Horsetail
Equisetum mackaii
- Native to:
- Aleutian Is., Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuril Is., Labrador, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Equisetophyta | - Horsetails
- Family:
- Equisetaceae
- Genus:
- Equisetum
- Species:
- Equisetum mackaii
- USDA Symbol:
- EQMA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 50 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Rhizomes survive fire and resprout vigorously; aerial stems are killed but underground portions persist.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, sandy, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- often found in coastal areas with high humidity
Propagation & Germination
- Notes:
- Reproduces primarily by spores and rhizomes; spore viability is short-lived and requires moist conditions for germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI