Himalayan Balsam Control & Removal

Horsetail / Mare's tail Treatment, Eradication and Removal for clients in Scotland 

Horsetail (*Equisetum arvense*), often called mare’s tail, is an

invasive,

deep-rooted perennial weed that will spread quickly to form a dense

carpet

of foliage, crowding out less vigorous plants in beds and borders. 

What is horsetail?

Horsetail is an invasive, deep-rooted weed with fast-growing rhizomes

(underground stems) that quickly send up dense stands of foliage.

Appearance

Horsetail is easily recognised by its upright, fir tree-like shoots

that

appear in summer.

In spring, fertile light brown stems, 20-50cm (10-20in) tall, appear

with a cone-like spore producing structure at the end of the stems.

In summer, sterile green shoots develop into fir tree-like plants, 60cm

(2ft) tall.

The problem

The creeping rhizomes of this pernicious plant may go down as deep as

2m

(7ft) below the surface, making them hard to remove by digging out,

especially if they invade a border. They often enter gardens by

spreading underground from neighbouring properties or land.