Omnia SanaPlant Comparison
Field Horsetail vs Figwort
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Field Horsetail and Figwort: they share 6 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, inflammation (general), skin irritation, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Field Horsetail | Figwort | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Inflammation (general) | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Skin irritation | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Swelling / fluid retention | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Urinary support | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Urinary tract infection (UTI) | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
Field horsetail is exceptionally rich in silica, concentrated in the stem, and is a signature source of this mineral in Western herbal medicine.
Antioxidant flavonoids contributing to the plant's anti-inflammatory activity.
An enzyme that degrades vitamin B1 (thiamine); the basis of the caution against prolonged or excessive use.
Anti-inflammatory constituents; harpagoside also has cardiac (inotropic) activity.
Supporting antioxidant constituents.
Pharmacological Actions
Mild diuretic and lymphatic 'detoxifying' herb (traditional); Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
Antispasmodic / smooth-muscle relaxant (preclinical - an extract relaxed isolated intestinal smooth muscle, apparently via muscarinic receptors)
Mild diuretic and lymphatic 'detoxifying' herb (traditional)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-rheumatic action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from alterative action
Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antispasmodic action
Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
Anti-inflammatory; soothes inflamed, irritated skin; Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Field horsetail contains thiaminase, an enzyme that degrades thiamine (vitamin B1); prolonged or excessive use can cause thiamine deficiency — symptoms include neurological problems and weight loss. This risk is greatest with repeated large doses or prolonged use. The plant also contains nicotine at low levels and silica compounds. Not recommended for children or during pregnancy and breastfeeding. People with impaired kidney function should avoid use, as diuretic effects may worsen fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Caution with concurrent diuretic medications. The EMA herbal monograph recognises traditional use at appropriate short-term doses in adults only (European Medicines Agency, 2016; Sandhu et al., 2010).
Duke (2002) rates horsetail as + (moderate caution) and notes clinical evidence (score 2) for its diuretic and wound-healing (vulnerary) activities, consistent with Commission E approval. High silica content may strengthen connective tissue, hair, and nails. Dose: 6 g dried herb daily as tea or in capsules. Horsetail contains thiaminase (breaks down vitamin B1) and an unidentified neurotoxin — it should not be taken long-term or in large quantities. Not for use in patients with edema due to cardiac or renal insufficiency, and avoid in children under 12 (Duke, 2002).
Avoid if you have a heart condition or take cardiac medicines: figwort's harpagoside has a stimulating (inotropic) effect on the heart, so it is traditionally avoided with rapid heartbeat or heart disease.
Avoid during pregnancy. There is insufficient reliable evidence on the safety of taking figwort by mouth, so internal use should be cautious and short-term.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Perennial, spore-bearing (non-flowering) plant with two distinct stem types arising from a deep, black, jointed rhizome. In early spring, unbranched, pale brownish fertile stems appear first, each topped with a spore-bearing cone, and die back once spores are shed; these are followed by the familiar green, hollow, jointed, ridged sterile stems bearing whorls of thin, needle-like branches at each node, giving a bottlebrush appearance.
Tall perennial herb (Scrophulariaceae), 50-100 cm (occasionally more), with a distinctly square stem. Leaves are opposite, ovate, toothed and unpleasant-smelling. Small, dull maroon-brown, two-lipped flowers are borne in loose, branched clusters (cymes), followed by small dry seed capsules.[11]
Habitat
Grows in damp grassland, waste ground, riverbanks, roadsides and disturbed soil on a wide range of soils; native and common across the temperate Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia, North America).
Native to Europe and western Asia, growing in damp woods, hedge banks, ditches and shady waste ground on moist, nutrient-rich soils.[11]
Harvesting
The green sterile stems are cut in summer, at their most vigorous, and dried quickly in a warm, shaded, airy place; careful identification against the more toxic marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre), which grows in similar damp ground, is essential before wild-harvesting.
Aerial parts are cut during flowering (summer); the root can also be dug in autumn.[11]
Traditional Uses
Field horsetail has a long European folk history as a diuretic remedy for urinary gravel and mild fluid retention, as an astringent, anti-inflammatory and vulnerary herb for wounds and connective-tissue support, and, owing to its very high silica content, as a traditional tonic for hair, nails and skin.[11]
Figwort takes one common name, 'scrofula plant', from its historic traditional use for scrofula (tuberculous lymph-node swelling) under the Doctrine of Signatures, its knotty root resembling swollen glands. It has a long folk-medicine reputation as an 'alterative' (blood-purifying) herb for chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, applied as a poultice, salve or tea.[11, 12]
Preparations
Dried sterile stem simmered or infused in hot water as a traditional diuretic and connective-tissue-support tea.
Dosage
The EU herbal monograph gives a single dose of 1-4 g of the comminuted herb in 150 mL of boiling water as an infusion or decoction (5-15 minutes), 3-4 times daily, for a daily dose of 3-12 g, in adolescents, adults and elderly; traditionally used over a period of 2 to 4 weeks. For cutaneous use, 10 g in 1 L of water as a decoction for impregnated dressings and irrigation. Not recommended under 12 years. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 2-4 g dried herb per cup as an infusion, taken cautiously and short-term given limited safety data and the cardioactive harpagoside content. Educational reference only, not a prescription; avoid with heart conditions/cardiac medicines and in pregnancy.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
References & Sources
- Hegedus, C., Muresan, M., Badale, A., Bombicz, M. and others (2020) 'SIRT1 Activation by Equisetum arvense L. (Horsetail) Modulates Insulin Sensitivity in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats', Molecules, 25(11), pp. 2541. doi:10.3390/molecules25112541 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112541 - Dragos, D., Gilca, M., Gaman, L., Vlad, A., Iosif, L. et al (2017) 'Phytomedicine in Joint Disorders', Nutrients, 9(1), pp. 70. doi:10.3390/nu9010070 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9010070 - Grundemann, C., Lengen, K., Sauer, B., Garcia-Kaufer, M. and others (2014) 'Equisetum arvense (common horsetail) modulates the function of inflammatory immunocompetent cells', BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 14, pp. 283. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-283 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-283 - Wang, L., Zhang, L., Zheng, G. and Luo, H (2021) 'Equisetum arvense L aqueous extract: a novel chemotherapeutic supplement for treatment of human colon carcinoma', Archives of Medical Science, 19(5), pp. 1472-1478. doi:10.5114/aoms/138146 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms/138146 - Jeong, S.Y., Yu, H.S., Ra, M.J., Jung, S.M. and others (2023) 'Phytochemical Investigation of Equisetum arvense and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Potential in TNFalpha/INFgamma-Stimulated Keratinocytes', Pharmaceuticals, 16(10), pp. 1478. doi:10.3390/ph16101478 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16101478 - Klncalp, S., Ekiz, F., Basar, O., Coban, S. and others (2012) 'Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail)-induced liver injury', European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 24(2), pp. 213-214. doi:10.1097/MEG.0b013e32834e7ff0 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0b013e32834e7ff0 - Maeda, H., Miyamoto, K. and Sano, T (1997) 'Occurrence of dermatitis in rats fed a cholesterol diet containing field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.)', Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 43(5), pp. 553-563. doi:10.3177/jnsv.43.553 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.43.553 - Saslis-Lagoudakis, C.H., Bruun-Lund, S., Iwanycki, N.E., Seberg, O. and others (2015) 'Identification of common horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.; Equisetaceae) using Thin Layer Chromatography versus DNA barcoding', Scientific Reports, 5, pp. 11942. doi:10.1038/srep11942 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11942 - Mimica-Dukic, N., Simin, N., Cvejic, J., Jovin, E. and others (2008) 'Phenolic compounds in field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) as natural antioxidants', Molecules, 13(7), pp. 1455-1464. doi:10.3390/molecules13071455 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules13071455 - Tufarelli, V., Baghban-Kanani, P., Azimi-Youvalari, S., Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad, B. and others (2021) 'Effects of Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) Dietary Supplementation on Laying Hens Productivity and Oxidative Status', Animals, 11(2), pp. 335. doi:10.3390/ani11020335 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020335 - Carneiro, D.M., Marques, L.C., Velasques, L.O. et al (2016) 'Randomized, double-blind clinical trial to assess the acute diuretic effect of Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail) in healthy volunteers'. doi:10.1155/2014/760683 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/760683 - European Medicines Agency (2016) 'European Union herbal monograph on Equisetum arvense L., herba'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-equisetum-arvense-l-herba_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-equisetum-arvense-l-herba_en.pdf - http://LatvijasDaba.lv (n.d.) 'tīruma kosa – Equisetum arvense L'. Available at: http://LatvijasDaba.lv Traditional / reference
http://LatvijasDaba.lv - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.) 'Equisetum arvense L'. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:http://ipni.org:names:17003330-1 Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:http://ipni.org:names:17003330-1 - Sandhu, N.S., Kaur, S. and Chopra, D (2010) 'Equisetum arvense: pharmacology and phytochemistry — a review', 3(3), pp. 146--150. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Equisetum%20arvense%3A%20pharmacology%20and%20phytochemistry%20%E2%80%94%20a%20review - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - NatureSpot 'Marsh Horsetail - Equisetum palustre'. Available at: https://www.naturespot.org/species/marsh-horsetail Traditional / reference
https://www.naturespot.org/species/marsh-horsetail - Muller, J. and Puttich, P.M. and Beuerle, T (2020) 'Variation of the Main Alkaloid Content in Equisetum palustre L. in the Light of Its Ontogeny', Toxins, 12(11), pp. 710. doi:10.3390/toxins12110710 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12110710 - Ibi, A. and Du, M. and Beuerle, T. and Melchert, D. and Solnier, J. and Chang, C (2022) 'A Multi-Pronged Technique for Identifying Equisetum palustre and Equisetum arvense - Combining HPTLC, HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and Optimized DNA Barcoding Techniques', Plants, 11(19), pp. 2562. doi:10.3390/plants11192562 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192562
- Stevenson, P.C., Simmonds, M.S.J., Sampson, J., Houghton, P.J. and Grice, P (2002) 'Wound healing activity of acylated iridoid glycosides from Scrophularia nodosa', Phytotherapy Research, 16(1), pp. 33-35. doi:10.1002/ptr.798 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.798 - Ahmad, M., Muhammad, N., Mehjabeen, Jahan, N. and others (2012) 'Biological screening of Scrophularia nodosa extract and its fractions', Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 25(2), pp. 307-313. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Biological%20screening%20of%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20extract%20and%20its%20fractions - Miyase, T. and Mimatsu, A (1999) 'Acylated iridoid and phenylethanoid glycosides from the aerial parts of Scrophularia nodosa', Journal of Natural Products, 62(8), pp. 1079-1084. doi:10.1021/np9805746 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np9805746 - Sesterhenn, K., Distl, M. and Wink, M (2006) 'Occurrence of iridoid glycosides in in vitro cultures and intact plants of Scrophularia nodosa L', Plant Cell Reports, 26(3), pp. 365-371. doi:10.1007/s00299-006-0233-3 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0233-3 - Soualeh, N., Stiévenard, A., Baudelaire, E., Bouayed, J. and Soulimani, R (2019) 'Powders with small microparticle size from Hedera helix and Scrophularia nodosa exhibited high preventive antioxidant activity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in mouse primary spleen cells', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 88(3-4), pp. 208-218. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000526 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000526 - Papp, N., Czégényi, D., Tóth, M., Dénes, T. and others (2022) 'Ethnomedicine survey on folk dermatology in Transylvania, Romania', Clinics in Dermatology, 40(6), pp. 651-664. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.07.013 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.07.013 - Soulimani, R., Dicko, A., Baudelaire, E. and Bouayed, J (2021) 'Increased anti-inflammatory activity and enhanced phytochemical concentrations in superfine powders obtained by controlled differential sieving process from four medicinal plants', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 93(4), pp. 339-351. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000739 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000739 - Ohiienko, T., Kutsyk, R., Kurovets, L., Ohiienko, S. and others (2023) 'Screening of medicinal and aromatic plants extracts for the synergism with fluconazole against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis fungi associated with denture stomatitis', Wiadomosci Lekarskie, 76(7), pp. 1615-1620. doi:10.36740/WLek202307115 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.36740/WLek202307115 - Leclerc, H (1949) '[The scrofular, Scrophularia nodosa L.]', Revue de Phytotherapie, 13(87), pp. 381-383. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%5BThe%20scrofular%2C%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20L.%5D - Akerreta, S., Cavero, R.Y. and Calvo, M.I (2007) 'First comprehensive contribution to medical ethnobotany of Western Pyrenees', Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 3, pp. 26. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-3-26 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-3-26 - Medicinal Herbals (n.d.) 'Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa): The Natural Skin Healer'. Available at: https://medicinalherbals.net/figwort-scrophularia-nodosa-natural-skin-healer/ Traditional / reference
https://medicinalherbals.net/figwort-scrophularia-nodosa-natural-skin-healer/ - WebMD (n.d.) 'Figwort: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions'. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-446/figwort Traditional / reference
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-446/figwort - Ahmad, M., Muhammad, N., Mehjabeen, Jahan, N., Ahmad, M., Obaidullah, Qureshi, M. and Jan, S.U (2012) 'Spasmolytic effects of Scrophularia nodosa extract on isolated rabbit intestine', Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 25(1), pp. 267--275. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Spasmolytic%20effects%20of%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20extract%20on%20isolated%20rabbit%20intestine - First Nature 'Scrophularia nodosa, Common Figwort'. Available at: https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/scrophularia-nodosa.php Traditional / reference
https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/scrophularia-nodosa.php - Berdai, M.A. and Labib, S. and Chetouani, K. and Harandou, M (2012) 'Atropa belladonna intoxication: a case report', Pan African Medical Journal, 11, pp. 72. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655106/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655106/ - Oerlemans, C. and de Vries, I. and van Riel, A.J.H.P (2017) 'Anticholinergic syndrome caused by contaminated herbal tea; acting swiftly to identify the source', Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 161, pp. D1261. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28612694/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28612694/
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.