Northern Giant Horsetail

The giant Horsetail, Equisetum telmateia, grows in damp, shady areas. This was photographed at the ponds in Sharpe Park on a hike there last spring. This is one of the spore-bearing fertile stems. A little later in the season the plant produces sterile but photosynthetic stems with feathery green foliage. The plant is widely used medicinally.