Horsetail Uses

Horsetail is a ferny perennial herb with a bamboo-like stem. The flowers are a plain spike and not showy. The leaves are needle-like and the joints snap apart with ease. Horsetail, which grows from 4 to 18 inches tall, grows worldwide except in New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica.

History

• Horsetail plants are over 200 million-years-old. They were giant fernlike trees and a possible food source for herbivore dinosaurs. Modern era horsetail plants are miniature versions of their ancient ancestors. European people and Native Americans used horsetails as pot scrubbers in the sixteenth century.

Internal Medicine

• Fluid taken from the young form of the horsetail is used in oral herbal medicines. Additionally, horsetail is a diuretic that can be used to treat urinary tract infections, fluid retention, bladder infections and kidney stones. It is also used as therapy for osteoporosis since it helps build stronger bones.

External Medicine

• Horsetail ground up can be used to stop bleeding wounds in the wilderness. It is one of nature's herbal bandages. Applying a topical ointment made from horsetail can help treat burns, fractures, sprains, skin ulcers and rheumatic conditions.

Warning

• Horsetail should not be taken orally in large doses or for extended periods of time. Internal use of horsetail drains the body of Vitamin B1. Loss of mental alertness, difficulty breathing and heart damage occurs if your body does not have enough Vitamin B1. If you do take horsetail internally, then take a Vitamin B complex supplement. Do not drink alcohol and take horsetail together since it will speed up the Vitamin B depletion. Also, do not take horsetail if you have heart or kidney disorders.

Other Considerations

• Different species of horsetail give colors from a yellowish green to deep green when dying wool. Horsetail has high silica content. As a young horsetail plant grows and ages, it accumulates more silica from the soil. Horsetail can be used as an abrasive especially while camping. Collect a handful of horsetails in the leafless stage. Dry them in the sun for about an hour. Tie the stems together in a bundle. Use the bundle as a pot scrubber to clean your eating utensils while camping. The silica in the horsetail also makes this herb good for sanding wood.