Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre) look very similar, so that laypeople can hardly tell them apart. Since marsh horsetail, unlike field horsetail, is poisonous, you should be careful when collecting that you don't get the wrong kind of horsetail. Here's how to tell the difference.

The edible field horsetail can be easily distinguished from the poisonous marsh horsetail by its leaves and flowers

Horsetail is not poisonous

Since horsetail or horsetail is not poisonous, it is collected or planted in naturopathy, for use as fertilizer or pesticide in the garden and for cosmetic products.

Field horsetail can also be used in the kitchen, even if the taste is rather tart. It only becomes dangerous if you mix up horsetail and horsetail.

If you do not trust yourself to recognize field horsetail and to distinguish it from marsh horsetail, it is better not to pick the plants. If necessary, consult a plant guide for identification.

Different locations of the two horsetail species

One clue as to whether horsetail is poisonous or non-toxic is where the plant grows.

Field horsetail prefers - as can be seen from the name - fields and meadows. But he also likes to spread out on field edges and in the lawn.

Marsh horsetail prefers to grow in swampy terrain. You can find the plants near bodies of water. On pastures, the poisonous species grows near depressions in the ground and in places where the water table is very high.

This is how you can tell what kind you have in front of you

  • Color of the sporangia (spore ears)
  • cones on the rungs
  • leaf sheaths
  • stem
  • coloring of the leaf axes

Field horsetail has sporangia on brown sprouts, while marsh horsetail sprouts are green. If there are brown cones on the sprouts, it is swamp horsetail.

Field horsetail has broader stems. In contrast to the marsh horsetail, they are wider than three millimeters.

Count the serrations of the horsetail leaf sheaths. If there are more than eight, you have non-poisonous field horsetail in front of you. In addition, the lower sheaths of the side branches of the field horsetail are lighter in color.

The distance between the individual leaf shoots compared to the length of the side shoot sections provides unequivocal information as to whether it is field horsetail or swamp horsetail. Here you get more information:

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Marsh horsetail contains the toxin palustrine, which is also included in the botanical name. Symptoms of poisoning can occur not only in grazing animals such as horses and cows when consumed. So be careful when picking.

Category:

Herbs