An iconic wetland works that require little care .
Native to North America and portion of Europe and Asia , cattailsare an easy - arise aquatic perennial industrial plant that feels ripe at home in wetland and boggy soil . They add a bold vertical bearing to H2O garden and ponds , thanks to their sprawl top , upright , sword - like leaves , and familiar cylindric fruiting capitulum , which is displayed by female plants after summer anthesis and pollination . Cattails also provide a worthful habitat for wetland birds and other wildlife , including crimson - winged merl and dragonflies .
Along with their contribution to landscaping projects , cattails are collected for exercise in both brisk and dried arrangement and can be eaten as green goods . Their rhizomatous root word allow the plant to diffuse quickly once established , resulting in dense clumps of the plant often plant dot the shoreline of lake and pond .
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Where to Plant Cattail
In worldwide , cattail plants are typically located on the shoreline of pool and lake , in boggy marshes , and shallow waters where the dirt is incredibly dampish . The plant typically clump together in large numbers , spreading via rhizomatous roots to shape dense settlement . Cattails are hardy in a wide range of USDA zone and can put up a variety of unaccented weather condition , from full Sunday to light shade . apart from their decorative appeal , cattail plants also provide a worthful ecosystem for wetland and coastal animal and can be an entire part of hold shoreline erosion .
Once established , your cattail plant will spread quite vigorously through its rhizomatous roots , so it ’s of import to choose a location in your landscape that allows for dense clumps of the plant to grow undisturbed . Additionally , you should be mindful of planting cattail near any other institute plant , as they can manifold fast and grow deep roots , often choking out nearby plants .
When planting cattail , be certain to choose a non - invasive aboriginal species , like Typha latifolia , instead of a non - native species ( likenarrow - folio cattail ) that can lay on the line invasiveness and needs proper approval before introduction .
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How and When to Plant Cattail
Cattail is best planted in early fall when the weather condition is nerveless and it is prosperous for the plant to found itself . You should plant your cattail flora or seedling into loamy territory that is very dampish — if you could time your planting to coincide with heavy rain , that ’s even better . Cattails do comfortably when planted in stand water , though you should loosely ward off anything bass than 12 inch , which can obstruct their growth and spread .
Cattail Care Tips
put up it ’s plant in the proper locating and under the right soil conditions , cattail plant will expand with picayune intervention , often reproduce in a issue of mere eld . Below , you ’ll receive info on the specific type of care this democratic aquatic plant requires .
Light
Cattail plants will do best grown in full sun , though can they survive just fine in partial shade . Because they ’re typically grown on the bank of rivers , ponds , or lakes , cattail seldom have to contend with shade created by trees or household ; as long as they get six to eight hours of full sunlight a day , they will be happy .
Soil and Water
The most of the essence chemical element to successfully growing cattail lies in its planting location . This aquatic perennial should be constitute in loamy soil that is rich with organic issue . For best results , said grime and planting locating should be located next to or within a shallow physical structure of water , as wet is vital to the growing and success of this plant . If you are embed cattail somewhere removed from its natural environment , make certain to keep the soil forever wet , bordering on dingy .
Temperature and Humidity
Cattail plant life can fly high in a wide of the mark multifariousness of temperature conditions , with a hardiness range of a function that includes USDA zone 3 through 11 . That said , the plants do best in environments that mirror their aboriginal North American emplacement , though they can successfully grow in more humid , tropic environment . Once established , cattail plants can handle freeze and immobilise temperatures well , going into dormancy until spring ; cattails that are plant too close to the end of the grow time of year may struggle to survive their first winter .
Fertilizer
If properly located , cattail is an enthusiastic cultivator , disperse easy via rhizomatous roots and rarely requiring any substance of fertilization .
Pruning
For best results , plan on crop your cattail works once a class to hit " pause " on their ontogenesis cycle and encourage goodish regrowth the following year . Pruning is best done in late summer or former nightfall , once the plant ’s growth has slowed down and any critters that use the industrial plant for nesting have moved on . Using piercing sheers , purport to cut the stalk of the cattail as close to the base as possible while still trim above the piddle line . void cut the stalks of any newfangled shoots , unless you ’re aiming to slow down the works ’s spread . curve below the water agate line can strip the plant of vital sunlight and food and may leave in your cattail coming back with less vitality in subsequent seasons .
Pests and Problems
In oecumenical , cattail has very few problems with coarse pests or disease . If anything , you may experience larger wetland critter like geese , muskrats , and castor , eat the stalks and solution of your plant during the wintertime season when food is more scarce . That pronounce , because cattails establish themselves in such large colonies , it ’s improbable that these animals will pose an issue .
How to Propagate Cattail
If you ’re face to increase your cattail universe , you have a few true options when it comes to spread the plant . The first , and most common , method is via partitioning . Because cattail is a rhizomatous plant , its knobby root make it very well-off to divide and disseminate . To do so , first identify a settlement of cattail that is firmly established in your landscape painting — ideally at least two season onetime . From there , using a sharp shovel , dig up a lot of the plant ( no more than one - third ) , taking care to see that the origin persist as intact as potential . Divide that into as many sections as you ’d wish , then establish them in a new positioning where they ’ll receive ample sunlight and water .
Cattails can also be planted from seed , though doing so is a much longer process and often not the first choice , given that the works spreads so pronto on its own . If you do wish to grow cattail from seed , it ’s honest to sow seeds in early autumn , pressing them into the Earth’s surface of the soil and see that they continue consistently wet . Germination of the plant life takes about two week , at which stop you should notice shiny green new ontogeny appear .
Cattail Companion Plants
keep in thinker that cattails spread out aggressively , it ’s adept to permit them batch of room for enlargement . If you ’d care to twin them with additional plants , focalise on species that thrive in the same moist and boggy soil as the cattail . taste these excellent planting companion .
Yellow Flag Iris
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These water - bed plants are hardy to zones 5 through eight and will develop smartly in wet locations . Come recent spring , the industrial plant will erupt in a display of showy sensationalistic flowers that last through summer — the thick blue - dark-green leafage is also similar to that of the cattail .
Sweet Flag
Sweet flagis a low - maintenance , grass - like repeated Thomas Hardy in zones 4 through 10 . Sweet flag develop better in moist territory and standing water , reach it a natural pairing to cattail . The plant , which can grow up to 12 inches marvellous , boasts wanton unripened , reedlike stems and a spicy redolence when the foliage is crushed or broken .
Pitcher Plant
Matthew Benson
hurler plantis unexpected add-on to any weewee garden . The carnivorous works brings vibrant vividness and ocular interest to any marshland atmosphere . The tube - shaped leaves beckon in insects , which are then eat up by the industrial plant .
Frequently Asked Questions
While it is very difficult to keep cattail plants from spread due to their rhizomatous roots , you’re able to hinder the works ’s growing a bit by pruning . Plants cut below the water line will often establish themselves in smaller number the following year . Additionally , you could assay to pull any fresh growth before it establishes itself in the landscape painting .
Yes . Several parts of the cattail plant are edible , let in the roots , shoots , stems , leave-taking , flowers , and seeds . The most pop edible part of the plant is the youthful stems , which can be eaten new or boiled and taste similar to asparagus .
Credit:Matthew Benson
