Mare’s Tail (Equisetum arvense)

Photograph copyright — Patsy Collins

Equisetum arvense is a hardy perennial which dies down over winter. It’s an ancient plant, examples of which can be found fossilised into coal. It grows in damp, acidic soil. In spring, the plant sends up leafless heads of spores that look a little like asparagus shoots. The spores mean the plant can reproduce in the same way as ferns and moss. These are followed by stems bearing thin, needle-like leaves.