Invasive Weed! - Ask Extension
Hello! We just bought a property about 5 miles up Baker Creek and we have Baker Creek as well as two other creeks surrounding us. We have what I beli...
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Invasive Weed! #927939
Asked April 09, 2026, 3:50 PM EDT
Hello! We just bought a property about 5 miles up Baker Creek and we have Baker Creek as well as two other creeks surrounding us. We have what I believe are a version of a horse tail? That are growing now up out of the ground mostly near them and didn’t know if there was an effective way to read these? Thank you for any help!
Yamhill County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello,
Those are horsetail in the photo. Depending upon your situation you may not need to do anything, they are native plants. Do you have livestock in the area? It is toxic to livestock.
The plant I would be more worried about in the photo is the shiny geranium (the plant with the pink/purple flowers). These spread quite rapidly and choke out native vegetation. Have you noticed if you have this widely in the area?
Below is some information about horsetail and shiny geranium.
https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/shiny-geranium
https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/horsetail
After the weeds are managed, your site may benefit from some restoration with native plants to help with the encroachment of invasive weeds.
Thank you for using Ask Extension!
Those are horsetail in the photo. Depending upon your situation you may not need to do anything, they are native plants. Do you have livestock in the area? It is toxic to livestock.
The plant I would be more worried about in the photo is the shiny geranium (the plant with the pink/purple flowers). These spread quite rapidly and choke out native vegetation. Have you noticed if you have this widely in the area?
Below is some information about horsetail and shiny geranium.
https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/shiny-geranium
https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/horsetail
After the weeds are managed, your site may benefit from some restoration with native plants to help with the encroachment of invasive weeds.
Thank you for using Ask Extension!
