The horsetail is a living fossil, it has been on earth from the Jurassic (150,000,000 years ago) period. Back then there were many different varieties and species of horsetails, some as tall as 30m trees. Ancestors of the horsetail date back to the Carboniferous (360,000,000 years ago) period. Their remains are a significant portion of present-day coal deposits. The giant horsetail is native to our area and much of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. There is a similar european giant horsetail that has a lighter coloured stem that does not contribute to photosynthesis.
Photography notes:
A little bit of the right side of the original image has been cropped off to improve the composition.