Not Tropical but quite exotic

[Godfryd]

I'd like to show you two of my plants which are not from tropicals area but looks original and exotic to me.
Maybe you know them and showed earlier - then I'm sorry, I didn't notice.

First one is Equisetum hyemale var. camtschaticum - comes from Kamtchatka Peninsula. It's the highest form from the Equisetum family - reach about 1.5 meter max. Looks a little as a bamboo. It grows up even in USDA 3 zone
Part of Equisetum I have in the ground with any winter protection. Some of them I took to my house to watch them grow. I really like them.







The second one plant I'd like to show you is Juncus effusus var. spiralis. Great plant with original curly "leaves". I had some problems with it last summer beacuse I had plenty of water in my yard and Juncus most of summer time was under water. So it's not looking good. I dig it up and took to the house to "heal". It's healing very slowly but I hope I can help and rescue that plant. So far I have one curly leaf. The another leaf unfortunately I cut with scissor and I'm angry with that.

[canadianplant]

I'd like to show you two of my plants which are not from tropicals area but looks original and exotic to me.
Maybe you know them and showed earlier - then I'm sorry, I didn't notice.

First one is Equisetum hyemale var. camtschaticum - comes from Kamtchatka Peninsula. It's the highest form from the Equisetum family - reach about 1.5 meter max. Looks a little as a bamboo. It grows up even in USDA 3 zone
Part of Equisetum I have in the ground with any winter protection. Some of them I took to my house to watch them grow. I really like them.







The second one plant I'd like to show you is Juncus effusus var. spiralis. Great plant with original curly "leaves". I had some problems with it last summer beacuse I had plenty of water in my yard and Juncus most of summer time was under water. So it's not looking good. I dig it up and took to the house to "heal". It's healing very slowly but I hope I can help and rescue that plant. So far I have one curly leaf. The another leaf unfortunately I cut with scissor and I'm angry with that.

Those mexican horsetails are badass. I think there are some that grow larger then 1.5M. They are also one of the oldest living species on the planet - being around before the permian mass extinction that wiped out 95% of everything alive. Horsetails, along with conifers, ginkgo, ferns, lichens and mosses (and club mosses) are all older then 250 million years old, and remain generally unchanged!

There are 3 species here that are native.
http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern4.htm
http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern5.htm
http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern6.htm

Nothing like the monster mexican species, but still native

They are also used as an herbal medicine, a very potent one at that... They are also good to have naturalize in your yard...

Also, nice potted ginger!!

[lucky1]

Interesting plants, Godfryd.
I think I've seen the first plant growing in wet areas in Vancouver.

Good follow-up info Jesse.

Seems the second one was developed by the Universit of British Columbia, and received Plant of the Week distinction

http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week333.shtml

Barb

[Godfryd]

Thanks for the info!
I know that Equisetum has plenty of different kinds and the grow in many territories. But I didn't know they're so old.
Some of Equisetum even grow naturally here in Poland (I found them in the wood) but they're max 20-30cm high.

Have ypu got any pics of Equisetum from Mexico higher than 1.5 m? I'll be glad to see them

[edit] Thanks Barb for the info about second plant. So I must be patient and then the plant will start to grow faster We'll see

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Great pics, Godfryd! I have also seen some tall Equisetum in Canada.