Horsetail Stem is a Tier 2 material added with the Into the Abyss update for Grounded 2. It grows as a tall green-and-yellow stalk in the Pond, and it feeds most of the update’s underwater crafting, from armor and weapons to submerged base pieces. The plant is common once you reach the right water, so the real work is arriving with the correct cutting tool and enough oxygen to stay down.
Quick answer: Dive into the Pond south of the Bridge and east of Skunk Pond, then cut the tall Horsetail plants with a Tier 2 Omni-Clipper. Each plant drops three Horsetail Stems. Above-water Horsetail can be cut with a Tier 2 Axe instead.
Where Horsetail plants grow in Grounded 2
Horsetail only appears in the Pond area that the update opened up. The plants line the banks and pond bed in the stretch between the Bridge and Skunk Pond zones. For a dense, repeatable run, farm the cluster between the Digital Watch and Sunken Gnome points of interest, where several plants sit close together instead of forcing you to hunt isolated spawns.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Item | Horsetail Stem |
| Tier | 2 |
| Where | Pond banks and bed, south of the Bridge and east of Skunk Pond |
| Best farm spot | Between the Digital Watch and Sunken Gnome POIs |
| Drop per plant | 3 Horsetail Stems |
| Also found in | Ominent chests |
Treat this like a proper dive, not a shallow paddle. The Pond opens into a large, layered space with real depth and new predators sharing the water, so top up your oxygen and bring something to defend yourself before you head down. To swim and stay under, you need at least a Gil Tube and Fin Flops equipped.
The tool you need to cut Horsetail Stem
The plant is a Tier 2 material, so a weaker tool will not cut it. The correct tool depends on where the Horsetail is growing.
- Underwater Horsetail needs a Tier 2 Omni-Clipper.
- Above-water Horsetail can be cut with a Tier 2 Axe.
Most bulk farming happens underwater, so check your Omni-Clipper before you leave base. If your Clipper is still below Level 2, sort that first. The location is not the blocker in that case, the tool is.
Upgrade the Omni-Clipper to Level 2
How to harvest and confirm the unlock
You know the unlock worked when the Bubble Diffuser, Horsetail Scaffold, Horsetail Bracket Scaffold, Horsetail Triangle Scaffold, and Horsetail Triangle Bracket appear in your build menu. If you have Horsetail Stems but still cannot see the Bubble Diffuser, the fix is not more farming. Return to the Analyzer and confirm that a stem was actually analyzed.
Note: The Bubble Diffuser is placed in the water, not on shore. If a specific spot rejects the build, move the blueprint to a nearby clear patch of terrain rather than forcing the obstructed surface.
What Horsetail Stem is used for
Horsetail Stem is described as a hollow but rigid segment of a horsetail, well suited to buildings that need tubing. It fills the weed-stem role for the underwater loop, so it appears across armor, weapons, structures, and the new water buggy.
| Category | Recipes using Horsetail Stem |
|---|---|
| Armor | Koi Scale Chestplate, Koi Scale Greaves |
| Weapons | Harpoon Gun |
| Materials | Quartz Glass |
| Buggies | Toe Biter Buggy, Toe Biter Nest |
| Structures | Bubble Diffuser, Diving Bell Bed, Marine Door, Marine Curved Door, Kiln, Shock Tower, Horsetail Scaffolds and Brackets |
Quartz Glass and the Diving Suit reserve
The biggest demand on your Horsetail supply comes from Quartz Glass. Each Quartz Glass costs 2 Crushed Quartz and 1 Horsetail Stem, so the stem cost is easy to plan around. One stem equals one glass.
The full Diving Suit needs 9 Quartz Glass, which means you should set aside 9 Horsetail Stems just for that project before spending the rest. Keep those nine separate from your spare stack so a base piece does not quietly consume them and send you back across the Pond.
Horsetail returns again for the Toe Biter Buggy. The Toe Biter Nest recipe requires at least 8 Horsetail Stems, so you have to farm those the normal way before the water buggy becomes an option for bulk gathering. The hatch itself runs 12 in-game hours once every incubation material is loaded, so confirm the full material set before you start it.
The A Gift Horse quest reward
Harvesting Horsetail also progresses an early Pond objective. Cutting the plants advances a Harvest: Horsetail Stem goal, and reaching 5 stems completes the A Gift Horse quest for 850 Raw Science. Since each plant gives three, two Horsetail plants clear the count with one stem to spare.
Once you know the cluster and carry the right Tier 2 tool, a Horsetail run is short. Decide how many stems you need, protect the ones reserved for Quartz Glass, analyze your first stem if the recipes are still locked, and head back when the current project is funded rather than clearing every plant on the map.
