Any know what this is?

This plant grows under my wood chips in really long runners with these small,  tree-like plants that grow up from it.

Horse tail Good luck getting rid of that it likes damp ground but will also grow on dry sand, it will grow back from the tiniest bit of that black root and will grow up through over a foot of mulch, keep picking the green bits off is about the only way to keep it under control, left to its own devices it will make a little Pre historic forest.

I agree.. looks like horsetail.. equisetum.. high in silica I believe.. potentially useful for cleaning pots and pans.. I think some use out in natural dentistry.. seems like I saw a post at the grow network..

I think my botany professor called it scouring rushes..

Yep, Equisetum.  Only dinosaurs can eat it, because it is so high in silicon, so it has been laughing ever since they went extinct.   Strikes terror into the heart of most conventional gardeners, but I'm sure us permies are made of tougher stuff! Supposedly you can scour pots with it.  Wouldn't want to try and compost it, but I'm sure properly toasted it would be a good supply of minerals back into the soil.

It likes damp acid soil. And it seems to do okay in shade. A mixture of sunlight and lime will let other things grow to compete with it. I think it would take over the compost pile.

People do eat it, but excessive consumption can cause thimine deficiency. I'd be worried about wear and tear on livestock teeth if it were fed to them.

Hester Winterbourne wrote: Wouldn't want to try and compost it

Could compost it anaerobically in a barrel of water.  

Anyone else have any ideas how to get rid of it? I don't have that many pots that need scrubbing,  and the area it is in is heavily mulched so it stays damp underneath.  As near as i can tell,  it started in an area where i piled shredded leaves i was leaving to compost.  I've never seen it here before,  but now it is spreading into my wood chip areas.