Common Cattail • Cat's Tail • Bullrush

Typha latifolia L.
TY-fuh (alt. TY-fah)  lat-ih-FOH-lee-uh  (alt. lat-ih-FOE-lee-ah  lat-tif-FOLE-ee-uh, etc.)

Typhaceae (Cattail Family)

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Definitions

*Note: “Typha” is the Greek word for "cattail" which is its common name. “Latifolia” translates as “broad leaved”. Each plant is capable of producing 70,000 seeds. Additional common names: great reedmace, broadleaf cattail, water torch, cat o' nine tails and soft flag.

* Stem: From coarse shallowly-curved rootstock. stout stem, pithy, unbranched, more than 3’ tall, lower 1' to 1-1/2' portion has a tender white core.

* Flower: Tiny, dense, at stem tip, in cylindrical spike, the lower portion has female flowers and looks like a corn-dog when mature. It is dark brown. The upper portion has the male flowers and turns gold with pollen then disintegrates leaving a bare tip.

* Leaves: Alternate , grasslike, flat, long and narrow, grayish green, parallel veined, spongy, a cross section shows many hollow chambers. Bases sheath the stem.

* Habitat: Lake shores, marshes, ponds, wet ditches, standing or slow-moving water.

* Uses: Whitish leaf base is used as a fresh vegetable, raw or cooked. Rootstock peeled and eaten raw or roasted, steamed or stir fried, can also be dried and ground into white flour. A starch white ball at the base of the stem is also eaten. Young flowering stalk edible but best when still green, can be eaten like corn on the cob. Pollen can be mixed with flour for pancakes, biscuits or muffins. The roots boiled or crushed have been used to treat cuts, burns, and other skin irritations. The flower heads have been used to treat diarrhea and other digestive troubles. The juice from the leaves has been used on gums to reduce pain. Leaves of cattails were woven into mats, baskets, bedding, clothing such as capes and hats and used in caning chairs. Some people used them to caulk cabins. The seed fluff was used to stuff pillows and mattresses and as a drying agent in diapers. Blended with other material it makes chewing gum. Dipped in oil the spikes make a torch. The down is a good fire-starter material. During WW I the down was used in life preservers. The plant provides shelter and food for many species of wildlife including muskrats and geese.

* Caution: When harvesting the rootstock be sure to identify the cattail and not other similar looking rootstocks that are considered poisonous.