December EcoQuest: Chasing Cattails

For our December EcoQuest, let's dive into the intriguing world of cattails! Cattails grow in or near slow moving or still waters—think of the margins of ponds, lakes, and streams. These species are easy to spot, even in December! They grow can grow up to 10 feet tall and have grass-like leaves, with long slender stalks topped with a brown, corndog-shaped flowering head.

Cattails, known scientifically as the Typha genus, are very useful. Every part of the plant, from roots to shoots, leaves, and the fluffy bits have practical use. For example, Native Americans would use the cottony fluff for dressing wounds and pillow stuffing, while the leaves were used for weaving baskets, mats, or roof thatching. In addition to practical uses, nearly all parts of the plant are edible. Flour can be made from the pollen or the roots and the tender young shoots are delicious steamed or fried.

While spotting a cattail might be quick and easy, distinguishing between species is trickier. Colorado hosts three common cattail species, broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia), narrowleaf cattail (T. angustifolia), and southern cattail (T. domingensis). The flower spikes are very helpful when distinguishing species. The corndog-like part of the spike holds the female flowers, while above is a thinner spike that holds the male flowers.

Broadleaf cattail doesn’t have a gap between the male and female parts, but narrowleaf and southern cattail do. In narrowleaf cattail the male and female spikes are roughly the same length, but in southern cattails the male spike is longer than the female spike. Additionally, narrowleaf cattail is typically taller and has narrower leaves (6-15 mm wide) compared to broadleaf cattail (10-30 mm wide). These species can be difficult to tell apart, especially in the winter when the male flower spike might not be present. If you can’t distinguish the species, leave the genus at Typha and take good pictures of the leaves and flower spike.

Cattails are ecologically important as they provide important habitat for animals. If you find cattail, notice what other creatures you might see or hear, in the water or perching on the stalks. Wetland habitats are important hotspots for biodiversity so monitoring the species present in these areas is a meaningful endeavor. So, Let’s bundle up for a frosty adventure, search for cattails, and post our findings on iNaturalist to better understand these useful and ecologically important plants.

Typha sp. by @bolmstead42

Typha latifolia by @nickmoore91

Posted on December 4, 2023 03:14 PM by alissa_iverson