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Cattail

Typha spp.

Cattail Locations in North America
Cattail Locations in Southeast US
single bloom cattail

Cattail drawing

Bunch of cattail

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Cattail?

Physical Characteristics

Aquatic, perennial herb, 5 to 6 feet tall from large, creeping rhizomes.

Leaves:

  • Arranged & straight
  • Immobile
  • Linear
  • Fleshy

Flowers:

  • In a long, dense cylindrical spike
  • Spike at end of stem

Fruit:

  • Long-stalked small nut

Seeds:

  • In the air

Stem:

  • Simple
  • Jointless

Where does Cattail grow?

Cattail normally grows in freshwater, forming dense colonies where salinities are very low, if any at all, but can be found in marshes where salinities reach 3.5 ppt.

Pros and Cons of Cattail

The rhizomes and lower leaf portions of cattails are consumed by nutria, muskrats, and geese. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. ducks). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

What Type of Cattail Do I Have?

There are 3 species of Cattail in North America. Only 2 of theses species are common in Texas. Click on the buttons to learn more about each species.

Typha latifolia
Typha domingensis
How to Manage This Plant
Plant Glossary

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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