Equisetum pratense
| Equisetum pratense | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Equisetum pratense (common name: meadow horsetail)
Propagation: Spores - best collected as soon as they are ripe in the spring and surface-sown immediately on a sterile compost. Keep moist and pot up as soon as the plants are large enough to handle. Very difficult[1].
Division. The plants usually spread very freely when well sited and should not really need any assistance.
Cultivation: Prefers a moist soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5[1].
Plants are hardy to about -30°c[1].
Plants have a deep and penetrating root system and can be invasive. If grown in the garden they are best kept in bounds by planting them in a large container which can be sunk into the ground[1].
Range: Arctic and temperate regions of Europe, including Britain, N. America, central and northern Asia.
Habitat: Grassy stream banks, up to 900 metres[2]
Edibility: Roots - raw or cooked[3][4][5][6][7]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
A further report says that the peeled stems, base of the plant, root and tubers were eaten raw by the N. American Indians, the report went on to say that this may be inadvisable[5].
Medicinal: Horsetails have an unusual chemistry compared to most other plants[8]. They are rich in silica, contain several alkaloids (including nicotine) and various minerals[8].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Spring
Known Hazards: Large quantities of the plant can be toxic. This is because it contains the enzyme thiaminase[9], a substance that can rob the body of the vitamin B complex[10]. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is r
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.