The word "Equisetum" comes from the Latin words “equus” meaning horse and “seta” meaning bristle. This name was derived from the bristle-like properties of the leaves of the horsetail plant, thus its common name, “bottle brush.” Do note that it is a different plant from Callistemon, which has bristly red flowers that look like a bottle brush. Horsetail also goes by other names: Asprêle Bottle-brush Coda cavallina Cola de Caballo Common horsetail Equisetum Field horsetail Horse herb Horsetail grass Horsetail rush Horse willow Queue-de-Renard Scouring rush Shave grass Spring horsetail Horsetail is not the same as the Callistemon plant, which has bristly red flowers that look like a bottle brush.