๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฆ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ญ
With ancestors reaching back to before the dinosaurs, the horsetail, ๐ธ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐, doesnโt do typical plant things. No flowers. No seeds.
Here is the fertile shoot, appearing first, before the green, feathery sterile stems. Lesser celendine accompanies it, they both like moisture. That pale, cone-like tip is the spore-bearing strobilus. It releases its spores, then withers. Only afterwards do the familiar green, bottle-brush shoots emerge.
These shoots can be used as a plant strengthener and anti-fungal spray for tomatoes, potatoes, cucurbits and roses. Chop them up and simmer in water for about 30 minutes. Dilute roughly 1:5 to 1:10.
Its value lies in its high silica content, which helps toughen plant tissues.