Typha latifolia
Typha latifolia, the broadleaf cattail or common bulrush, is a common site across Canada in wet habitats.
Typha latifolia, the broadleaf cattail or common bulrush, is a common site across Canada in wet habitats where it will grow in water up to two feet deep. Its tall, upright, leathery leaves add a vertical display as do the distinctive cigar-shaped, dark brown inflorescences that persist for most of the season before breaking apart into white fluff. An important plant for bioremediation of contaminated sites, it also provides protective habitat for riparian birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. All parts of the plant are edible and it was used by First Nations peoples. The inflorescence is valuable as a cut flower. A Canadian native in every province and territory except Nunavut. Several moths and other insects use the cattail as a larval host.
Common Name: Broadleaf Cattail
Family: Typhaceae (The Cattail Family)
Zone Hardiness: 3-10
Light: Full Sun, Part Sun
Height: 4-6'
Width: 12-24"
Primary Bloom Colour: Brown
Secondary Bloom Colour: White/Cream
Bloom Time: Spring - Fall
Foliage Colour: Green
Class: Deciduous
Type: Perennial
Soil Moisture: Wet , Moist
Stem Colour:
Fragrance: No
Berries: White
Benefits:
Deer Resistant: Yes
BC Native: Yes
Native Habitat: Wet habitats including ditches, ponds, lakeshores, and marshes from low to high elevations across most of North America and Eurasia into North Africa.
Award:
Geographical Origin: Europe and Western Russia, North Africa, North America, North Central and Eastern Asia
