Equisetum fluviatile

Emergent plant of lake, pond, and stream margins

Equisetum fluviatile water horsetail

Plant grows in the wild/spontaneouslyPlant is native to PA

Smooth, hollow horsetail of variable form, with many, few or no branches.  Branches form depending on environmental factors.  The dark green, ribbed and segmented stems grow from black rhizomes buried in the lake or stream bottom sediments.  Waterfowl, bear, muskrat eat the stems and rhizomes of water horsetail.

Common in standing waters, marshes, ponds, can grow in shallow to deep water.

Present throughout the state with exception of northcentral and southwestern regions.

Wetland codes
EMP: OBL
NCNE: OBL



Stems  14-46 in. tall.  All alike, green, erect, mostly solitary; very hollow and very smooth with 12-24 flat obscure ridges.   Sheath 1/3 in wide, green, clasping, often tinged with orange; 12-24 narrow, black, sharp-pointed teeth, sometimes with narrow white border.  Stems sometimes branching after cone has formed.

Branches  up to 6 in. long.  Variable length and number of branches; spreading to ascending, normally from mid stem nodes; 4-6 smooth, slender, hollow ridges.  Branch internode nearest to stem shorter than adjacent stem sheath. Teeth narrow.

Cavities  central cavity 4/5 of stem in diameter or more.  Vallecular canals absent.

Cone 1 in. long. Blunt tip, short-stemmed, maturing in summer.

Rhizome  reddish, hollow, same size as stems, wide-creeping.

Thin stem walls easily compress when squeezed.

S-rank:  No rank
G-rank:  G5 (Secure)

Equisetum fluviatile water horsetail

Plant grows in the wild/spontaneouslyPlant is native to PA
Equisetum fluviatile gallery
Plant Life-Form
Common Names
water horsetail river horsetail swamp horsetail