SOUTHERN CATTAIL (Typhadomingensis)

Cattails prefer shallow, flooded conditions and easily get established along a pond shoreline or in waters one to 1.5 feet or less in depth. When unimpeded however, the cattail beds will expand and can extend their hefty rhizomes well out into pond surface, actually floating above much 

What they look like: 

Southern cattail is an upright perennial plant, 4-12 feet (1.5 – 4 meters) tall. Like other cattails, it spreads by rhizomes, and one or two plants can form a dense colony. The round flower spikes bear several long, strap-like green leaves. At the base where they clasp the stem, leaves become crescent-shaped in cross-section and have orange-brown mucilage glands on the inner surface; the mucilage is tan, shiny and sticky, resembling shellac.

Behaviour:

Under the right conditions, cattails can grow and spread vigorously.  The pollinated flowers develop into fluffy seed heads, blowing across a pond in autumn breezes.  Just as commonly, cattails spread through their root system.  The thick, white roots, called rhizomes, grow underground near the edge of ponds and in shallow swales.  As long as the water is not too deep, the cattails feast off the open sunshine and abundant water, storing a large amount of food in the root system.  In fact, cattails at the edge of pond can grow faster than fertilized corn in a field!  The dense foliage and debris from old growth makes it very difficult for competing plant species to grow.  

Effects on Biodiversity:

Ecologically, cattails tend to invade native plant communities when hydrology, salinity, or fertility change. Cattail is competitively superior under stable water conditions. Maintaining open areas in semi-permanent marshes is difficult once the plant is established. The plant can occur in a variety of natural communities and form extensive monocultures rapidly through vegetative reproduction, thereby reducing plant bio-diversity.

Effects on people and the economy:

Cattails can become a problem in irrigated agricultural lands and managed aquatic systems. The plant invades farm ponds, irrigation canals, and drainage ditches which can result in impeded water flow and increased siltation.

How to combat these invasive species:

Maintaining water flows into the wetland, reducing nutrient input and maintaining salinity in tidal marshes will help maintain desirable species composition. If cattails begin to invade, physical removal may be necessary.