Horsetail / Mare’s tail (Equisetum arvense)

Question:

I hope you can help, My family and I have just moved into a nice house in Kent and look forward to enjoying our new garden especially with our new daughter who is currently 6 months old. The problem I have is that the garden seems to be infested with a strange mushroom like plant. I dont think it is a mushroom though and am worried that it might be of danger to my daughter or pets. The plant/mushroom whatever is brown in colour and had a hard top/cap to it. The seem to be growing everywhere, in the grass, between the house and patio, in gaps in the patio… everywhere really.

Answer:

When I first saw your photographs I was stumped but with a little research I found that it is indeed Horsetail or Mare’s tail (Equisetum arvense). It changes its appearance throughout the year; by summer the “mushroom” looking tops will be replaced with green fir-like stems which you will probably recognise.

It is not a danger to people or animals but it is very difficult to eradicate as it has creeping rhizomes which can go as deep as 2m below the surface and often spreads underground from neighbouring properties or land.

Removal by hand is difficult but you may be able to remove some of the rhizomes growing near the surface with a fork. However the more deeper roots will take a lot of digging and it is worth remembering that if even a small piece of root remains in the ground it will grow on quite quickly. Over a number of years you can reduce the spread by removing young shoots as soon as they appear above the ground. Any growing in your lawn can be kept down by regular mowing.

It is possible to weaken the infestation using weedkiller but you will need to be careful when using near other plants or the lawn. Try weedkillers containing glyphosate, e.g. Roundup or Tumbleweed; applying in late summer when growth is strong. You can also try Glufosinate ammonium, e.g. FITO Garden Weedkiller and Knockdown Weedkiller which may also weaken the root system. In all cases, before using, bruise the shoots to ensure that the weedkiller penetrates effectively and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

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