Plant Exploration: Horsetail

[@nataliemccall7291]

20 mins in and I can feel my antipathy to Equisetaceae, which I know here in Scotland as 'mare's tail', turn to interest. It found it's way into my garden a few years ago, and has already spread about 10m, despite my constantly pulling and drowning the plant, layering cardboard then soil in my raised beds as a physical barrier, ie engaging in a fight with it... Ok back I go to listen some more and maybe learn to love this invasive plant....thank you!

[@GreenWisdomHerbalStudies]

I know the feeling, but think of how good it’d feel to hack down some of that pushy annoying plant and make medicine out if it! Invasive plants are awesome for food and medicine because you don’t have to worry about negatively impacting the ecosystem by harvesting them-the more you pull, the better! It’s also exceptional for adding to your compost to boost soil nutrition, more reasons to cut it down. :)

[@weekendsareforwitchery]

So glad to see you on KZbin now...I am local and can't wait for you plant talks to start up....I wish you had visuals here for the lovely Horsetail...Odd no pics for the class? Is that so your students have to go out to identify them?

[@GreenWisdomHerbalStudies]

I dont generally have pictures for the class. If I grow the plant, I'll show what it looks like from my garden, but i'm low tech and so don't add in extra pics--but you can readily find pictures available on the internet!

[@abejitasqueaks]

let's say i were to make the "super strong" extraction like you mentioned, what is the safe dosage for general strengthening? some herbalists i follow say only 1 or 2 tablespoonds of such a decoction at once, maybe up to 3 times a day? is this true?

[@GreenWisdomHerbalStudies]

There are so many factors involved in dosing that it’s difficult to give specifics without knowing more details. How strong a decoction, how much is it reduced, what are you using it for, is the strengthening your looking for from an acute injury or general systemic nourishment, where are your other sources of nutrients coming from or is this pretty much it. And that doesn’t even bring into account your own body: age, size, digestive health, kidney function, metabolism, personal sensitivity, dietary deficits… Having said all of that, sure, a few tablespoons per day would be a fine dosage. For general strengthening I’d suggest adding other herbs to round out the formula, maybe some nettle and dandelion leaf and oatstraw and red clover to go with the horsetail, but just the horsetail alone could also be fine.