Scouring Rush

Scouring rush, Equisetum hyemale, is a horsetail of the family Equisetaceae found across much of the Northern Hemisphere, distinguished from most other horsetails by its unbranched, hollow, jointed evergreen stems that persist through winter. Its stem walls contain substantial amounts of silica, giving the plant a gritty texture that led early American and European settlers to use bundles of the stems to scour pots and polish wood and metal, a practical use reflected directly in its common name.