Weed profile: Horsetails
Horsetail
Horsetail
Equisetum species
Horsetails are highly invasive and toxic to livestock. It can even kill animals that eat contaminated hay. Horses, cattle and sheep are particularly susceptible and can die within a few hours of eating large amounts of the plants. In high densities, horsetails reduce crop yields by producing inhibitory substances that depress the growth of neighbouring plants.
Status
- Declared in NSW under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 (view details)
- National Environmental Alert List weed (definition)