Dense Impervious Groundcover
"Equidistance" is a dwarf horsetail originally found in Central Michigan on a sand flat growing in a compacted soil few other plants could tolerate. There it created a dense sod with a matrix of small rhizomes. Each plant produces a straight stalk to 8 inches high with no side branching. Very easy selection to grow in a wide variety of soils including wet and soggy soil.
Horsetail's silica-based stems are great for polishing and washing metal, hence the name ‘pot scrubbing plant’. The plants have been trialed for phyto-remediation. They are able to a absorb gold up to 4.5 ounces/ton of fresh stalks. Native Americans used the tiny tubers as a source of food and allowed horses to graze on it. Can grow in sun or light shade.
| Plant Specs |
| Genus & Species |
Equisetum |
| Seed Source |
Michigan |
| Hardiness |
-25 |
| Height (ft) |
3-6 inches without the flower stalk |
| Width (ft) |
12-18 inch spread |
| Soil |
Moist to dry. Tolerant of low fertility soils. |
| Climate |
Zone 3-8. Hot, dry, cold, moist. Tolerant. |
| Ease of Cultivation |
Very easy. Slowly creeps outward with dense branching. Once established it is long lived. |
