Think of plants that sip through a straw, bloom trumpet-like flowers, have hollow stems, or tubular leaves.

In this post, we’ll discover five unique plants with tube-like structures and how these designs help them thrive in their environments.

1. Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes and Sarracenia spp.)

One of the most renowned examples of plants that rely on tubular structures for survival belongs to the Nepenthes and Sarracenia species. Pitcher plants live on a carnivorous diet that includes insects, frogs, and other small mammals. 

What forms their unique diet-capturing mechanism? They have evolved tube-like leaves that form a narrow, hollow pitcher with a lid. 

The leaf hood forms a natural trap filled with nectar, and once inside, the prey falls into the digestive juices, becoming the wildflower’s food supplement for growing in nutrient-poor soils.

2. Corey Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Corey Honeysuckle is a twinning vine that can grow 20-30 feet tall. This North American native also boasts of striking, red, trumpet-shaped flowers that have four upper lobes and one lower lobe.

What makes these showy flowers fascinating is that they are non-fragrant, yet they produce sweet nectar that’s a magnet for hummingbirds. It’s the only bird with the right morphology to reach it. As they feed, the birds enable efficient pollination by transferring pollen from flower to flower.

3. Horsetail (Equisetum spp.)

Horsetails are vascular plants that date back to prehistoric times. Their distinct green, jointed, hollow stems have, over the millennia, helped the plant to stand upright without the need for woody tissue. This adaptation allows the plants to get maximum sunlight, especially in crowded environments.

Additionally, the tube-like stems also facilitate internal aeration, water management, and defense, making it resistant to herbivore and mechanical damage. All these adaptations help the plant survive and thrive in its environment.

4. Calla Lily (Zantedeschia spp.)

The elegant Calla Lily features a funnel-shaped tube, known as a spathe, that wraps around the reproductive spike. While often confused for petals, it is a pollinator attractant that guides the insects to the well tucked flowers beneath. 

In some of the lily species, the surface of the tube-like spathes may be smooth and slippery, causing even the unhelpful insects to carry pollen, and thereby increasing pollination success.

Overall, the tube-like structure is not only highly designed for reproductive success, but it also creates an inviting and mesmerizing appeal that captures the hearts of many.

5. Bamboo (Bambusoideae)

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant with one of the most iconic and functional tube-like structures, the culms. The hollow stems provide mechanical strength, allowing them to withstand strong winds and heavy rain.

Additionally, the jointed culms also enable the bamboo to reach impressive heights quickly. They also support aeration, water, and nutrition transport, and provide protection against pests and fungal attacks. 

Bamboo tube-like stems can balance strength, speed, and sustainability. That’s why it’s not only a vital plant in environmental restoration but it’s also one of the most valuable resources in diverse industries such as textile and construction. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

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Common horsetail reproduces by spores and creeping rhizomes. It is easily identified by its slender, hollow, stems with conspicuous nodes and siliceous ridges that are rough to the touch. 

Common Horsetail Classification 

• Domain: Eukaryota
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Equisetophyta
• Subphylum: Pteridophyta
• Class: Equisetopsida
• Order: Equisetales
• Family: Equisetaceae
• Genus: Equisetum
• Species: Equisetum arvense
• Common Names: Horsetail, Field horsetail, and Scouring rush

Nativity and Distribution

Common horsetail is native to the Arctic and the temperate Northern Hemisphere which includes Canada, North America, and Europe.

Today, it is also distributed in:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• China
• Iran
• Madagascar
• Turkey

Physical Characteristics

• Leaves: Small, scale-like leaves arranged in whorls in their nodal sheaths
• Stems: Separate green sterile and tan fertile spore-bearing stems 
• Fruits: The plant has no fruits
• Flowers: The plant has no flowers
• Roots: Rhizomatous root system

Equisetum arvense is a perennial non-flowering herb that grows about 2-5 feet tall.  It is part of the ancient genus, Equisetum, which was once the dominant plant group in the world about 230 million years ago in the Carboniferous Age. 

Common horsetail reproduces by spores, creeping rhizomes, and tubers. It is easily identified by its slender, hollow stems with conspicuous nodes, and siliceous ridges that are rough to the touch.

E. arvense produces two separate types of stems that emerge from the creeping, brown rhizomes. 

The fertile stems are about 10-25 cm long and 3-5 mm wide and emerge first in spring. They are unbranched, succulent, tan-colored, and terminate in a spore-bearing cone 4 cm long. These stems lack chlorophyll and die off soon after spore shedding. 

The sterile stems emerge later and can reach up to 2 feet. They are rough and wiry and have four-angled green branches (modified leaves), spreading from the joints to give the plants a bushy appearance. These stems die in autumn. 

As a non-flowering plant, it does not have fruit (although it produces a spore-bearing cone) and does not have flowers.

The cone is apical, brown, 10-40 mm long, and 4-9 mm wide while the spores are globose, pale green to yellow in color.

Reproduction, Dispersal, and Life Cycle

• Life Cycle: Perennial 
• Seeds: Produces spores
• Climate: Temperate climate with cool and wet conditions
• Dispersal: Wind and water 

E. arvense is a perennial plant that reproduces through two life cycle stages, the first is visible during the spore-producing stage and the non-visible during the gametophyte stage.

The cone contains thousands of spores with spring-like appendages that respond to moisture. Once dry, these appendages uncoil and propel the spores into the wind to new distances.

Finding the right climatic conditions, the spores germinate into a gametophyte that produces new plants. These new plants send branches deep into the soil, successfully establishing a horizontal rhizome network. The rhizomes support extensive colonization through the sending up of new shoots each year.

Common horsetail thrives in temperate climates with cool and wet conditions as found in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Similar Plants

• Equisetum hyemale
• Equisetum palustre
• Equisetum pratense

Uses

1. Fresh extract can be used to stop bleeding on wounds and treat lung damage from emphysema and tuberculosis. 
2. E. arvense liquid extract is used to make fungicides for blight and powdery mildew.
3. The buds are eaten as a vegetable in parts of Asia such as Japan and Korea.
4. It was used in North America, Finland, Austria, and China to make remedies for treating inflammation, gout, rheumatism, lung diseases, rashes, and hard-to-treat wounds. 
5. The plant is under pharmaceutical research for its diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties enhanced by its high mineral and silica content. 
6. It was used to clean various surfaces due to its abrasive nature, hence the name “scouring rush”.
7. Dried stems were used to polish metals. 
8. It is used as an indicator of areas with high levels of lead, copper, and zinc due to its capacity to absorb heavy metals.

Impact

Equisetum arvense is a weed of crop fields, ponds, and ditches. However, it has little impact on vigorous crops due to its limited competitiveness. That said, it can cause difficulty in harvesting by clogging the equipment with its bulky fragments. Additionally, due to its extensive rhizome network, it can be expensive to eradicate. 

The plant also contains thiaminase in its leaves and stems which when present in hay can cause poisoning if ingested over a long period of time, particularly, in horses. Symptoms include breathing and digestive problems, fever, muscle rigidity, coma, and death.

Its colony-forming habit can also lead to poor aesthetics in ornamental landscapes. 

Control

• Cultural control: Grow competitive crop varieties
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides like glyphosate or MCPA

The best control strategy is to prevent any establishment wherever possible. Once it encroaches on an area, it becomes difficult to control using many of the common strategies like mowing, digging, and herbicides.

In crop farms, however, it has been shown that growing competitive crop varieties and timely fertilizer applications can crowd the weeds and prevent further establishment.

Chemical herbicides like glyphosate, mecoprop, or MCPA provide temporary or season-long control because of the deep-rooted rhizomes and tuberous storage systems. 

We recommended consulting with a local extension officer for the best Equisetum arvense control strategy in your crop farm or landscape.

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

The post Equisetum arvense (Common horsetail) appeared first on InsightWeeds.

Its sheer resiliency toppled with the fact that farmers have not found a fast way to kill it is part of the reason this weed has been a nuisance for more than 300 million years.

However, with proper removal tips, you should be able to eradicate horsetail from your yard completely.

What is horsetail?

Horsetail is a rhizome weed belonging to the Equisetum spp family that is close in appearance to the Fern plant.

This weed can grow roots as deep as 7 feet long if not regulated. It reproduces by spores. This is why you are likely to start noticing it when the weather is windy.

Though there are over 30 species of horsetail today, they all fall into two categories.

One has no leaves but comes with rough intertwined stems, and the other has green jointed branches with small leaves.

Tips on how to kill horsetail weeds

Here are some of the fastest and most-effective ways to get rid of horsetail weeds:

1. Using dolomite

Dolomite is a derivative of limestone, and although it is very nutritious for plants, it hinders the growth of Horsetail and other weeds.

All you need to do is spread the dolomite powder all over the affected area. Usually, the recommended application amount is 2 pounds per 100 square feet.

Afterward, use a shovel to dig through the area so that the Dolomite can sift through to other layers.

The next step will be to water the whole garden thoroughly to enable the Dolomite to be adequately absorbed by the weed’s roots.

For effective results, reapply the dolomite powder every planting season since horseweed is remarkably resilient.

It is imperative to note that you will need to wait at least three weeks after the application of Dolomite before you apply fertilizer. Otherwise, the fertilizer and the limestone will cancel each other out.

Feel free to supplement this tip with the ones below.

2. Dig and sift method

If you are working with a small garden, you should consider the dig and sit method.

First, you will need to dig up or hand-pull all the horsetail plants you can see and dispose of them somewhere they cannot regrow.

Proceed to scoop out at least 1-foot of the garden’s topsoil, then sift it in batches using a soil sifter as you return the soil to the garden.

You will need to repeat this procedure twice over different planting periods for excellent results.

3. Use Monterey LG5190 Remuda full strength

The Monterey LG5190 Remuda is formulated with 41% Glyphosate concentrate with a surfactant which substantiates its claim of killing the majority of weeds, including the horsetail.

In addition, it is non-selective, making it ideal for use in a garden where you do not mind if everything dies.

Since it already comes with a surfactant, you will only need to mix it with water and spray it on your plants.

Ensure you keep all the children and pets away from the area you have just sprayed until it dries. If it rains before the chemicals dry, you will need to reapply. If possible, fill up every depression in your garden to improve soil drainage

4. Use Roundup-5100110 herbicide

Roundup is one of the best herbicide brands when it comes to dealing with stubborn weeds such as horsetail. Roundup-5100110 is specifically designed for this purpose.

Mix your chemical with water as per the instructions, and then spray everything on the farm. Although the chemicals start working immediately, you will see results after two weeks.

Also, remember there is a waiting period before you can plant anything on the treated area.

What not to do when trying to kill horsetail weeds

To avoid a recurrence after destroying horsetail weeds, you shouldn’t do these things:

1. Use weedkillers inconsistently

If you find a weed killer that claims it can deal with Horsetail, then do not use it once or twice and hope for a miracle.

Each time you apply the chemicals, only the top growth will die and then eventually regrow. Therefore, you need to keep reapplying so that it can destroy the plant.

2. Pull out or dig roots

Digging out Horsetail is tiring and time-consuming. Additionally, any small piece of root you leave behind will sprout afresh, making this method too much of a gamble.

3. Using nylon plant cover-ups or polythene bags

Horsetail thrives in warm and dark places that have little oxygen; therefore, covering them up will not do any harm

4. Covering your farm with mulch

Using mulch is a short-term solution because Horsetail will regrow after a few weeks.

This is mainly because mulch creates an acidic environment that benefits the plant.

You should now be able to kill horsetail weeds completely using the methods we’ve explained above. If you opt for a weed killer, ensure to follow the instructions as indicated by the manufacturer.

More helpful guides

• How to permanently get rid of invasive vine weeds
• Is Spectracide a selective herbicide for flower beds?
• Does alcohol kill weed?

Carter

IW’s Chief Editor and a lover of green spaces.

The post How to kill horsetail weeds  appeared first on InsightWeeds.