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Typha angustifolia
Also called Lesser reedmace, Narrowleaf Cattail, Narrow Leaved Cattail, Cattail, Lesser Reed Mace, Nailrod, Narrow Leaf Cattail
Lesser bulrush (narrowleaf cattail) is a perennial marsh plant native across much of Eurasia, growing 1.5 to 2 metres tall in shallow fresh or brackish water. Keep its roots wet, since it is a wetland species that cannot tolerate drying out.
Typha angustifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha, native throughout most of Eurasia and locally in northwest Africa; it also occurs widely in North America, where its native status is disputed. It is an "obligate wetland" species that is found in fresh water or brackish locations. It is known in British English as lesser bulrush, and in North American English as narrowleaf cattail.
The species is universally accepted to be native across most of Eurasia, and in the far northwest of Africa, where it is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical regions, growing in marshes, wetlands, and along the edges of ponds and lakes. Its status in North America, accepted as native by some, remains far from clear. In 1987 it was argued that the species was introduced from Europe to North America, with a human-mediated arrival on the east coast between 1800–1820. Later, pollen data gave credence to the idea that the species was present in North America pre-contact, but subsequent examination of this question suggests it remains very uncertain: "T. angustifolia is likely not native with European origins", with the species no more than "possibly native to the tidal wetlands of the eastern seaboard". Within North America, it is also thought to have spread recently from coastal to inland locations.
Several parts of the plant are edible, including during various seasons the dormant sprouts on roots and bases of leaves, the inner core of the stalk, green bloom spikes, ripe pollen, and starchy roots. It can be prepared in the same way as Typha latifolia. The edible stem is called bồn bồn in Vietnam.photo
Typha albida · Typha alekseevii · Typha ×argoviensis · Typha austro-orientalis · Typha azerbaijanensis · Typha ×bavarica · Cape Bulrush · Typha changbaiensis · Typha davidiana · Southern cattail · Elephant grass · Typha ×gezei
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Typha angustifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
