My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Equisetum

Rigid hollow, jointed shoots resemble miniature bamboo and colonize rapidly

Equisetum dome made for "One Singular Sensation". Floral Trends Design Group Inter-club Mini Show: Old and New

Common name

Scouring Rush, Horsetail, snake grass, puzzle grass

Origin

Equisetum is near- cosmopolitan, being absent only from Antarctica. Equisetum is a .living fossil., as it is the only living genus of the entire class Equisetopsida, which, for over one hundred million years were more diverse and dominated the understory of late Paleozoic forests. Some Equisetopside were large trees reaching to thirty meters tall.

Varieties

Over twenty five species

Colors

Bright green with black horizontal bands

Vase life

Dries to a natural light green out of water. If used in a vase the stems will root, over time,and can be planted.

Scent

None

Uses

Knot one end of the stem to create a natural flower "test tube", bend it, plait it, press LED lights into it, press a wire through it to curl and shape it (as seen in photo above). Simplistic and distinctive in designs.

Conditioning

Give the stem a fresh cut and hydrate in warm water.

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