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Common Cattail
Typha latifolia
Yellow spike
Brown cylinder flower
Tall grass-like leaves
Cattail are a common wetland plant
(meaning they need to have wet-feet (water)
to survive. They are nature's sponges and
are useful as riparian barriers to help absorb
pollutants before they enter the water table.
The cylinder (brown fuzzy part) is the
female flowering part of the plant and the
yellow spike is the male part. Native
Americans used this plant to weave baskets
and mats out of the leaves. They ate the
tuberous roots. They also used the papoose
(seeds) as an insulator. Cattails can be a
pest as they make a thick monoculture and
choke out other species - but provide great
habitat for nesting birds.