Day 189: The Common Horsetail and its relatives are considered nuisance plants in many areas of the world, "persistent" being the word most often applied to the species in field guides. Although the young shoots were eaten like asparagus historically, the plant contains a high concentration of silica and if eaten in any quantity could qualify as "poisonous" due to long-term effects. Native peoples used bunched up handsful of Horsetail to sand wooden objects, and early settlers scrubbed their cast-iron skillets with the stems and fronds. Although rather unattractive after the branches emerge, Horsetails have a beauty all their own at this stage in their growth.
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