Horsetail plant is the only living genus of the entire class Equisetopsida, which for over one hundred million years was much more diverse and dominated the late Paleozoic forests. Some were large trees up to 30 meters tall.
The most fascinating thing about this plant is that the stems are coated with abrasive silicates- natural sandpaper, which is exactly why my husband wanted it. The violin he is making will be polished to perfection with a living fossil. I'll be picking off pieces to scrub pots. At the rate it's growing, we'll have plenty to share.
