What's the rush?

In the case of this tubular grass-like plant, the rush is called scouring rush; or as my siblings and I called it as kids, snake grass. We would pull the sections apart and marvel at the hollow straw-like structure. Other descriptive names of the plant include horsetail, toad pipe and horse willow. It’s found along the shores of ponds and in marshes. Sharp silica crystals within the plant give it its properties as a scouring agent. As an herbal medicine, it was used to treat bleeding, among other uses.

I took a few moments out of my daily morning rush a couple of weeks ago to photograph these rushes and stop the bleeding of energy caused by the many demands placed on me. The plants were located along the edges of an attractive pond located not too far from my home. I think it will be a place that I will return to often for follow-up treatments.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph copyright 2007 James Jordan.