Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Equisetum japonicum

Christine 14Christine 14 Posts: 43
in Problem solving

Does anyone have any information on this plant please?  I feel it must part of the Horsetail family.  My husband bought it for his pond and it is described as suitable for boggy/wet conditions.  The pond is surrounded by very dry garden so will this plant spread by root or spore?  Would it be best to give it a miss?  I already struggle with Mind Your Own Business so don't want another invader!  Many thanks for any info.

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    It's specifically a pond plant  Christine, and although it looks like the dreaded invasive Horsetail, it's well behaved image

    I've had it in several ponds without any issues, and it's great as an upright accent to other lower growing plants. If it's in a pot somewhere in the shallows, it will look good.  

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • seacrowsseacrows Posts: 234

    It's one of those plants described as a living fossil, spreads by both spores and roots. Var. japonicum is one I haven't heard of, but other plants in the genus vary from vigorous to invasive. You should be OK if you contain the roots and weed out any seedlings (sporelings?) before they establish.

    For an idea of how invasive they get, there's a show home from a new built housing estate near me. The builders put in a little garden at front, just grabbing random plants. The northern giant equisetum now covers the garden and is growing through the tarmac pavement up to ten ft away.

  • Christine 14Christine 14 Posts: 43

    Thank you so much for such a speedy response!  I feel reassured Fairygirl and will go ahead and plant it.  I don't like the sound of the northern giant though - hopefully it is a distant cousin!

  • Christine 14Christine 14 Posts: 43

    Thanks for the further reassurance Phillipa!

  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364

    Hmm! I was just looking at the lable of one I bought at the NEC.

     " Keep soil moist" was as far as the care information went.  *Keep soil moist* is rather less than growing it in a pond.   I will plant it and see .

    This is how  puddleplants and other sites describe it.

    "http://www.puddleplants.co.uk/Barred-horsetail.html

    Bright green fleshy stems with black bands, very striking! They can form large colonies in wet ground or pond margins

    Equisetum comes from equus, horse and seta, a bristle, hence resembling horsetails; Japonica - from Japan

    Height: 60-100cm

    Planting position: Marginal up to 30cm

    Form:  6cm pots, 9cm pots -please select in "Choose size" box below."

    ______________________________________________________________

     I am now writing an Email to www.beaverplants.co.uk .  to question the lable information.  I think i am  in grumpy old woman mode today!

    I bought an Equisetum Japonicum at the NEC. It has your company lable on it.
    On your lable it says  Keep moist! Everywhere else on the internet it appears to be listed as a water marginal.

    This is how  puddleplants and other sites describe it.

    "http://www.puddleplants.co.uk/Barred-horsetail.html Bright green fleshy stems with black bands, very striking! They can form large colonies in wet ground or pond margins

    Equisetum comes from equus, horse and seta, a bristle, hence resembling horsetails; Japonica - from Japan

    Height: 60-100cm

    Planting position: Marginal up to 30cm

    Form:  6cm pots, 9cm pots -please select in "Choose size" box below."

    Do you have any further advice about this plant?




    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

Sign In or Register to comment.