What species of cattails grow in the Bay watershed?
Two species of cattails are common to the Bay region: • The common or broad-leaved cattail, Typha latifolia, grows mainly in fresh water areas. Its leaves can be up to 2 inches wide. • The narrow-leaved cattail, Typha angustifolia, ranges into brackish water areas. Its leaves are not as wide as the broad-leaved cattail’s. Where do cattails grow? Dense colonies of cattails can be found in any area where the soil remains wet or flooded during the growing season: wetlands, marshes, bogs, ditches, ponds and stream banks. Cattails can also develop into floating mats that provide food and cover for wildlife. Other facts about cattails: • Cattails can sometimes grow so rapidly that they crowd out other plant species. They also spread efficiently by rhizomes: one acre of cattails may derive from just a few plants. • Native Americans have found interesting medicinal uses for parts of the cattail plant, such as preventing chafing; healing burns, sores and inflammation; curing kidney stones; and
