Cattails

Cattails are a familiar plant seen growing in wetland habitats throughout the area.  Native to many parts of the world, including North America, South America, Africa and Eurasia, they provide food and protection for many species living in wetlands.  Cattails are an emergent plant,  with roots growing in soil underwater and the remainder of the plant emerging above the surface, into the air.  Cattails prefer six to eighteen inches of water, although they can tolerate drought conditions as long as the soil remains moist.

There are two species of cattails common in Illinois.  Broad-leaved cattail, Typha latifolia, and narrow-leaved cattail, Typha angustifolia, have many of the same characteristics and hybridize easily, so identification may be difficult.  Stems are three feet to nine feet tall and are firmly anchored in the wet soil by a complex system of fine, tentacled roots; they are flanked by slightly shorter, narrow, upright, olive-green leaves.  Separate groups of male and female flowers grow at the top of the stem.  Yellow  male flowers are located at the tip above a thick, velvety cluster of dark brown female flowers.  The male flowers of broad-leaved cattails grow immediately above the female flowers, but on narrow-leaved cattails there is a space of several inches between the two groups.

Both cattail species live in the same habitat and are aggressive spreaders.  They utilize two different reproductive strategies.  Rhizomes, roots growing horizontally along the soil surface, begin to spread in autumn.  They cease growth during the colder temperatures of winter, but become active again in spring.  Where the rhizome comes in contact with the soil, a new clone of the original plant is started.  Clonal clusters grow in tight masses of up to a hundred stems.  A second reproduction strategy is wind pollination.  Pollen, a male sex cell, fertilizes female flowers.  Seeds are then also spread by the wind.  After pollen is dispersed, the male portion of the flower spike withers and falls off.  The dark brown cluster of seeds may include up to 200,000 per stem.  As seeds pull away from the stem, an attached silk plume billows out behind, allowing the seed to be borne long distances on steady breezes.

Wetlands provide safe habitat for many species of spiders, insects, fish, turtles, birds and mammals.  The denseness of cattail clusters keeps predators out while providing small pockets for homes.  The area is a favorite for marsh wren, red-winged blackbird, yellow-headed blackbird, American coot and many species of rails and bitterns.  Leaves are used for building nests and muskrat lodges.  Young leaves provide food for many insects, mammals and birds.  The carbohydrate-rich rhizome is an important food source for muskrat and geese.  Seeds are rarely eaten, but seed heads provide over-wintering habitat for several moth larvae which in turn are a spring food source for many birds.

Early native Americans also enjoyed cattails in their meals.  Flower spikes were roasted and served like  corn cobs.  Pollen was mixed with wheat flour to provide a nourishing base for bread.  Today, leaves are woven into chair seats, rugs, and mats.  Look for stands of cattails in nearby wetland communities, and observe the other species that live among them including ferns, rushes, sedges, grasses and the many animals that call these environments home.