Typha angustifolia Narrow-leaf Cattail

General

A perennial aquatic plant typically found in freshwater wetlands and along the margins of ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. It features tall, slender, upright stems topped with distinctive cigar-shaped, brownish flower spikes that appear from spring to early summer. This species plays a crucial ecological role in providing habitat for wildlife and stabilizing shorelines.

Plant Description

Characterized by tall, slender stems that can reach heights of up to 3 meters. Its distinctive flower spikes are cylindrical and brownish in color, emerging in dense clusters at the top of the stems

Height (ft)
5-10'

Soil moisture

Wet to saturated soils

Soil types
sandy, silty, clay, well saturated

Wetland indicator
OBL

Shade tolerance
Full Sun

Bloom color
Brown

Bloom period
Late spring to early summer

Drought tolerance
Intolerant

Salinity tolerance
May tolerate slightly brackish water

 

Distribution

Found in various states from coast to coast, including but not limited to states in the Northeast (such as New York and Massachusetts), the Midwest (such as Illinois and Ohio), the Southeast (such as Florida and Louisiana), and the West (such as California and Oregon.)

Additional information

Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK

Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK

Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK

Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK

Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK

McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK

USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=asin

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g410

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_incarnata