Field horsetail, organic

Name: Field Horsetail / Common Horsetail (German: Ackerschachtelhalm / Zinnkraut)
Latin Name: Equisetum arvense L.
Product Form: Herb (sterile summer shoots), dried, cut
Ingredients: 100% dried field horsetail herb from certified Demeter cultivation (controlled organic farming)

Field horsetail is one of the oldest plants on Earth, with a history stretching back hundreds of millions of years. As a medicinal plant, horsetail herb has been firmly established in European natural medicine since antiquity. Our field horsetail herb comes from certified Demeter cultivation and is of natural, unadulterated quality.

Uses and Properties

As a tea: The dried sterile summer shoots of field horsetail are well suited for preparing horsetail tea. Due to its high silica content, horsetail herb tea is traditionally used in folk medicine to support skin, hair, and connective tissue. For a more potent infusion, a longer simmering time is recommended. Further guidance on preparation can be found in the "Preparation" tab.

As a rinse and bath additive: Field horsetail can traditionally also be used externally, for example as a cooled tea infusion for a hair rinse or as an additive to a foot bath. In traditional folk medicine, it has been used in this way to support skin care.

In herbal blends: Horsetail herb combines well with other medicinal plants. It is traditionally used in blends to support connective tissue and kidney function, for example together with birch leaves or dandelion.

Further information on application can be found in the "Areas of Use" tab.

About the Plant

Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a perennial, herbaceous spore plant from the family Equisetaceae and belongs to the most ancient plant species on Earth. In spring it first produces brownish, spore-bearing shoots, followed by the green, sterile summer shoots which grow up to 50 cm tall. From a ridged main stem, angular side branches emerge in clusters, resembling pine needles. The stem segments are separated by nodes and appear to slot into one another, a characteristic that inspired the plant's German name Schachtelhalm (literally "nesting stalk"). The rough, hard texture of the stems results from deposits of silica within the plant tissue. Unlike flowering plants, field horsetail produces no flowers but reproduces via spores. Its deep-reaching rhizomes can penetrate up to 1.60 metres into the soil.

In common usage, field horsetail is also known as pewterwork, scouring rush, bottle brush, cat's tail, horse tail, or shave grass. The German folk names Zinnkraut and Scheuerkraut both reflect its historical use as a scouring and polishing material.

Habitat and harvest time: Field horsetail is distributed across the entire northern hemisphere and is found throughout Europe. It grows preferably on loamy, moist soils along field edges, meadow margins, embankments, and roadsides. The sterile summer shoots suitable for use are harvested between June and August and subsequently dried using a gentle process.

Historical roots: Field horsetail has one of the longest histories of use of any medicinal plant. As far back as antiquity, horsetail herb was valued for its haemostatic properties and high silica content. During the Middle Ages, the hard plant was also used practically for cleaning and polishing pewterware and metal objects, which gave rise to the folk name "pewterwork" or "tin herb". The natural healer Sebastian Kneipp (1821 to 1897) revived field horsetail as a medicinal plant and used it, among other purposes, in the treatment of rheumatism and gout. To this day it ranks among the most widely used native medicinal herbs in European natural medicine.

Key active constituents:

• Silicic acid and water-soluble silicates (approx. 10%): The central active constituent of field horsetail; soluble silicic acid is considered an important building block for connective tissue, skin, and hair
• Flavonoids (incl. quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin): Polyphenolic plant compounds with widely studied bioactive properties
• Caffeic acid derivatives: Phenolic compounds investigated as secondary plant substances in natural medicine
• Potassium and aluminium chloride: Mineral compounds that contribute to the nutritional profile of the plant
• Polysaccharides: Plant-based complex carbohydrates with significance in traditional folk medicine

Herbathek Stands for the Highest Quality

All products available at Herbathek are exclusively selected and of the highest quality. Our field horsetail is also natural and of the finest organic quality: free from preservatives, flavourings, and other artificial additives - 100% natural!

Origin: Our field horsetail comes from certified Demeter cultivation, meeting the most rigorous standards of biodynamic farming. Demeter certification represents the highest ecological standards, going well beyond the requirements of conventional organic cultivation.

Careful cultivation & gentle processing: Throughout the entire growing and harvesting process, careful handling of the plant is prioritised. This ensures that its natural, plant-specific properties are preserved to the greatest possible extent. The deliberately cultivated plant form differs significantly from wild-growing variants and exhibits a considerably higher density of plant constituents. A particularly gentle further processing method and a specially adapted drying process guarantee the purity and high quality of this natural raw material.

You can also purchase other similar products at Herbathek:

• Field Horsetail, cut, organic - Equisetum arvense L., herb cut, from certified organic cultivation.
• Field Horsetail, powder, Demeter, organic - Equisetum arvense L., herb ground, Demeter, from certified organic cultivation.