It also has a dense and fibrous root system. And as anyone who has it on the farm knows, scentless chamomile germinates throughout the year because it has a winter annual habit, summer annual habit or short-lived perennial habit. Stork's bill is another one of those weeds that has numerous growth habits. It likes to emerge in early spring right about the time the crop is also emerging. And its tiny little seeds are difficult to separate from the crop seeds at harvest time.
Field horsetail comes in a variety of forms.
Since it's survived this long, it's obviously very well adapted. Not much research has been done on horsetail in terms of how to control it. Tillage doesn't seem to hurt it much and the plants don't seem very bothered by herbicides, either. However, there are reports of yellowing and a set back after a dose of Roundup. The plant's unusual leaf structure and silica content may be the reasons for its ability to overcome control measures.