Edible Parts: Leaves  Shoots
Edible Uses:

The leaves, young shoots and tender upper stems are edible after cooking. Some references also report their use raw, but boiling is the safer recommendation because the plant grows in water and may harbour microorganisms or parasites. PFAF records the leaves and young shoots as edible raw or cooked and notes their use in soups [2-3]. The most desirable material is the fresh green upper portion of an emergent stem. These sections are soft, relatively clean and easy to prepare. Older lower stems become firmer and may carry more mud, algae or mineral deposits. The whole above-ground plant can be cooked when young, but roots and rhizomes are not established foods and should be left in place. Retaining the rhizomes allows the colony to recover rapidly after a modest harvest. The dried leaves are also useful. Once thoroughly dried, they crumble into powder and can be stored as a soup base or seasoning. Dried stems are tougher than the leaves but soften again when simmered. Flowers and fruits are extremely small and provide no practical food resource. Edible Uses & Rating: Common mare’s tail deserves an overall edibility rating of 4/5. Its strongest qualities are mild flavour, tender texture, ease of cooking and the ability to produce substantial amounts of green material in habitats where few conventional vegetables grow. Large colonies can supply a useful quantity without killing the plants, provided the rhizomes and enough stems are left intact. The rating is reduced from 5/5 because aquatic harvesting brings significant safety concerns. Water quality may be poor, contamination may be invisible and parasites are possible. Collection may also require wading through cold, unstable or deep water. Where the water is demonstrably clean and the plant is cooked thoroughly, common mare’s tail is a very good wild vegetable. Where water quality is uncertain, it should not be eaten regardless of how healthy the plants appear. Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes.Fresh common mare’s tail has a mild green aroma. After boiling, the flavour is pleasant and free from the strong bitterness, resin or astringency that reduces the value of many wild vegetables. The taste can be described as a combination of mild dandelion greens and a delicate sea vegetable. It is greener than cultivated celery but considerably less bitter than mature dandelion foliage. The aquatic character is subtle rather than fishy. The leaves become soft and tender without collapsing completely. Their narrow shape allows them to cook evenly, while the young upper stems remain juicy and delicate. A brief boil may be enough to soften clean young material, but a longer boil provides greater reassurance against waterborne organisms. The cooking water should be discarded, especially when the plant has been gathered from natural wetlands. Common mare’s tail works well in soups containing rice, noodles, fish, soy products, mushrooms or mild Asian seasonings. Its flavour is delicate, so excessive chilli, vinegar or heavy spice can overwhelm it. It may also be served as a cooked green with oil, butter or a light savoury sauce. Chopping the stems into short sections before cooking makes them easier to eat. To prepare dried material, spread clean leaves and shoots in a thin layer in a shaded, well-ventilated place or use a food dehydrator at a low temperature. Once brittle, the leaves can be rubbed into a powder. The powder adds colour and mild vegetal flavour to soups and broths. Dried stems are less easily powdered, but they can be cut into short pieces and rehydrated through simmering. Thorough drying is essential because partially dried aquatic vegetation can mold quickly. Seasonality (Phenology): New growth generally begins in spring as water and sediment temperatures rise. Rhizomes produce upright shoots that may remain submerged initially and later emerge above the surface. The main gathering season extends from late spring through autumn. Young shoots are usually at their most tender during spring and early summer, but fresh upper growth may remain usable much later. Flowers appear mainly from June to August. They are tiny, greenish and produced individually in the upper leaf axils. They are easily overlooked because petals are absent and the plant does not develop a conspicuous flower spike. In cold climates, above-ground stems may remain green after the surrounding vegetation has died back. Some plants can persist into early winter or beneath the first thin layers of ice. PFAF notes that shoots may be gathered from autumn to spring and that even overwintered stems have sometimes been used, although fresh green growth is likely to offer better flavour and texture [2-3]. Safety & Cautions (Food Use): Only gather common mare’s tail from water known to be clean. Clear water is not necessarily safe. Mountain lakes and streams can still contain parasites, animal waste, harmful bacteria, agricultural runoff, mining pollution or naturally elevated concentrations of metals. Avoid plants growing near roads, livestock access points, sewage discharges, stormwater outlets, industrial sites, mine drainage, marinas or intensively farmed land. Aquatic plants can accumulate pollutants from both water and sediment. A healthy appearance does not demonstrate that the plant is safe to eat. Cooking is strongly advised. Wash the plant repeatedly in clean potable water and boil it thoroughly before consumption. Do not rely on rinsing alone to remove microorganisms or parasites. Wading presents separate hazards. Water may be extremely cold even in summer, particularly in mountain lakes. Mud can be deep, slippery or capable of trapping footwear. Sudden drop-offs may occur near apparently shallow margins. Never enter unfamiliar water alone. Use a long stick to test depth and substrate, wear suitable footwear and avoid strong currents. Do not harvest from protected wetlands or rare local populations. Regulations governing aquatic vegetation vary between regions, parks and reserves. People trying the plant for the first time should begin with a small cooked serving. Although common mare’s tail has a history of food use, individual reactions to unfamiliar foods are always possible. Harvest & Processing Workflow.Identify a clean, abundant colony before harvesting. Confirm that the leaves are simple and undivided, arranged in close whorls around straight, unbranched stems. Select green upper stems emerging from shallow water or wet mud. Avoid old stems coated with algae, silt, snail eggs or other aquatic growth. Cut or pinch off only the upper 10–20 cm of selected stems. Do not pull the plants from the substrate because this removes the rhizomes and causes unnecessary disturbance. Harvest lightly from a broad area rather than stripping one patch. Leaving most stems intact protects the plant’s capacity to photosynthesise and provides habitat for aquatic animals. Place the harvest in a clean container rather than allowing it to remain in muddy water. At home, rinse repeatedly under running potable water. Separate the whorls gently so that grit, insects and snails can be removed. Discard any discoloured, slimy or foul-smelling material. Cut the clean shoots into manageable lengths and boil them in fresh water. Drain and discard the cooking water before serving or adding the plant to another dish. For drying, blanching before dehydration is a cautious approach. Drain thoroughly and dry rapidly to prevent microbial growth. Cultivar/Selection Notes.Common mare’s tail is grown as an ornamental and oxygenating plant for ponds, bog gardens and water features. Commercial plants are generally sold as the wild species rather than named edible cultivars. No selections appear to have been developed specifically for improved food production. Desirable edible traits would include broad tender leaves, thick but soft upper stems, compact growth in shallow water and reduced accumulation of sediment or algae. Plants sold for ornamental ponds should not automatically be eaten. Nursery treatments may include pesticides, fertilisers or aquatic chemicals not intended for food plants. Garden-grown plants could provide a safer edible supply than wild plants if they are established in clean water and managed without unsuitable chemicals. However, the pond should not receive runoff from treated lawns, roofs containing harmful materials or areas used by domestic animals. The species can spread strongly in favourable water gardens, so cultivation should be managed carefully outside its natural range. Look-Alikes & Confusion Risks: Common mare’s tail is unlikely to be confused with many terrestrial plants, but several aquatic species have superficially similar feathery or whorled foliage. Water milfoils, Myriophyllum species, may produce upright stems with leaves arranged in whorls. Their leaves are divided into numerous fine thread-like segments, giving them a feather-like appearance. Common mare’s tail leaves are simple, narrow and completely undivided. Mermaid-weeds, Proserpinaca species, can also resemble mare’s tail. Their submerged leaves may be finely divided, while emergent leaves are broader and often toothed. They do not produce the same consistent whorls of smooth, entire leaves. Horsetails, Equisetum species, share a similar common name and can grow in wet places, but they are unrelated non-flowering plants. Horsetail stems are distinctly jointed, ridged, and often contain dark sheaths at the nodes. Common mare’s tail has soft green leaves attached directly around a flowering plant stem. Some aquarium and pond plants produce bottlebrush-like stems, so identification should not be based solely on general appearance. The combination of a creeping aquatic rhizome, hollow upright stems, whorls of six to twelve undivided leaves and minute flowers in the upper leaf axils is highly characteristic. Traditional/Indigenous Use Summary: Common mare’s tail was used as food by Indigenous peoples of northern North America, especially in Alaska and other Arctic or subarctic regions. Young green portions were cooked and eaten as vegetables or added to soups. The plant’s late-season persistence made it useful in climates where the growing season was brief and conventional leafy foods were limited. Its worldwide northern distribution means similar uses may have occurred in several regions, although surviving documentation is uneven. The value of the plant probably rested less on concentrated calories than on availability, flavour and its contribution of fresh green material to diets dominated by fish, meat, roots and stored foods. Traditional use would also have been supported by detailed local knowledge of clean gathering sites, seasonal water conditions and safe processing. Modern users should not separate the food record from that environmental knowledge. Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[46, 61, 85, 257]. Used to make soups[257]. They are best harvested from autumn to spring, even the brown overwintered stems in spring can be used[172].

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Vulnerary

Hippuris vulgaris is used in traditional herbal medicine primarily to heal wounds, stop internal and external bleeding, and soothe skin inflammation. It is also taken internally to treat stomach ulcers, tuberculosis, and coughs. The whole plant is an effective vulnerary, the juice being taken internally or applied externally[4, 172].

Typical habitats include ponds, marshes, sloughs, ditches, shallow lakes, slowly flowing rivers, spring-fed pools and muddy or peaty shorelines. In ponds, the foliage provides a strong vertical contrast to floating leaves and low marsh vegetation. The repeated whorls create an orderly, architectural appearance. The flowers are visually insignificant, so the plant’s ornamental value comes almost entirely from its structure and fresh green colour. In small water gardens, it may require containment. A submerged basket or lined planting area can limit rhizome spread while still allowing attractive growth. The species can be used in wildlife ponds, bog gardens, natural swimming ponds and cool-water containers. It is less suitable for warm tropical pools. Ecology & Wildlife: Common mare’s tail contributes structure and shelter to shallow-water habitats. Submerged stems provide refuge for aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, amphibian larvae and small fish. Emergent stems create surfaces from which dragonflies, damselflies and other insects can complete their transformation from aquatic larvae to flying adults. Dense rhizomes help bind soft sediment and may reduce erosion along quiet shorelines. The foliage slows water movement and can trap fine suspended material. Waterfowl and mammals may browse the leaves or roots, while small fruits can be moved by water or animals. The plant can absorb dissolved nutrients and contributes to the biological activity of ponds. However, claims that it automatically purifies polluted water should be treated cautiously. Plants growing in contaminated water may accumulate undesirable substances and should never be harvested as food. Common mare’s tail is particularly well adapted to seasonal water-level changes. It can grow submerged, emergent or temporarily exposed on wet mud, allowing it to occupy a flexible ecological position between aquatic and terrestrial vegetation. In garden ponds, it can provide habitat, visual structure and edible shoots, but its greatest value remains ecological. Clean, well-managed colonies support a diverse community of small wetland organisms while stabilising the shallow margins of cool freshwater habitats.

Special Uses