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Broadleaf cattail

Typha latifolia

Typhaceae

The cattail is very common in moist or wet places such as marshes, shallow ponds, ditches and stream borders. The spongy, dark brown spikes are four to eight inches long and contain the pollen grains. The leaves are long, flat and about an inch wide.

The young shoots pulled from the rootstalks in spring are succulent raw or cooked. They can be gathered throughout summer and fall when still under a foot long. The young flower stalks can be taken out of their sheaths and cooked.

The rootstalks should be obtained after the cattails have turned brown in the fall. After the outer peel has been removed, the core can be eaten raw or cooked. Cattail rootstalks have a very high starch content and can be used to obtain an excellent flour. The difficulty with obtaining the flour as well as with eating the rootstalk is the harsh fibres it contains. These can be removed by drying and pounding the rootstalk cores and then sifting out the fibres. The flour will settle to the bottom if water is used. The flour is about 80 percent carbohydrate and 7 percent protein.

Cattail pollen can be used as stuffing for pillows and blankets, for caulking walls and barrels, and as insulation. The shoots can be used to make mats, baskets and other woven materials. The down makes excellent tinder.

Cattails