by Sue Cosgrove
The Broad-leaved Cattail (Typha latifolia) is common throughout our region’s damp spots, and is a familiar sight. As a child, I delighted in the towering spikes, pretending the fuzzy spears growing skyward were living magic wands, sprinkling golden fairy dust on the summer breeze. As an adult, I delight and even revel in the fact that, from furry tip to muck-covered toes, every part of this remarkable “invasive” is useful; be it food, health, fiber or entertainment. Huh? Entertainment? Read on for more.
Food: The roots, eaten raw or cooked, contain about 80% carbohydrates (about half of that is starch), up to 8% protein, and are best harvested in late autumn through early spring. Chop and boil for a sweet syrup, or prepare and eat like mashed potatoes. Or dry and grind the root and mix with wheat flour for baking bread, biscuits and more. For a lovely fresh cucumber taste, harvest the young shoots in spring, before they reach about 18″ high, and use raw in salads or cooked as a substitute for asparagus. If the outer covering is removed, the base of the main stem is edible, can be boiled or steamed, and is often known as “Cossack’s Asparagus.”
When gathered before the buds open, the young flower spikes are enjoyed raw, cooked, made into soup and taste just like sweet corn. The seeds are small, but are edible raw or roasted, with a delicious nutty taste. They also can be ground into flour for baked goods. Due to the tiny seeds, it seems impractical to press the edible oil from the seeds. Even the protein-rich pollen can be added to flour for baking or cooking and can be ingested raw or cooked. How does one harvest cattail pollen? Tip the pollen-heavy spike over a wide, shallow container and gently tap the stem, or brush the spike, collecting the pollen in the container.
Health: The leaves, roots and pollen all act as a diuretic. Blend leaves with oil to use as a poultice for skin sores. The dried pollen is said to be anticoagulant but when charcoal-roasted the pollen is hemostatic (checks bleeding by contracting the tissues or blood vessels). Cattail pollen has also been used internally in the treatment of kidney stones, hemorrhage, abnormal uterine bleeding, abscesses, and cancer of the lymphatic system, but pregnant women are cautioned against internal use of pollen. Fresh roots can be mashed into a gel and used to poultice wounds, boils, burns, and sores. The young flower heads not only can be eaten to check diarrhea, but are used to treat a whole host of ailments including abdominal pain, vaginitis, and cystitis.
Fiber: Cattail provides a replenishable supply of biomass, whether used as a dry fuel or chopped green into the compost heap. Gather stems and leaves in the fall for making thatch, or to weave into mats and baskets. Want to make green or brown paper? Harvest leaves in any season except spring, soak in water 24 hours, then cook for 2 hours with soda ash. Rinse and beat in a ball mill for 1 ½ hours. Need light while camping? Remove the outer part of the mature stem except for a small strip to keep the stem erect. Soak in oil, then light and use like a candle. The characteristic “fluff” of the cattail contains buoyant as well as insulating qualities, and has been used in the past for stuffing pillows and as an absorbent lining for diapers. The flowering stems are also buoyant, or float, and can be dried and used for insulation.
Entertainment: Need more light? The female flowers provide immediate tinder with just a spark from a flint, and as the pollen is extremely flammable, it is utilized in making those grand Fourth of July fireworks. And much like mullein, the mature flower heads can be used for torches when camping or enjoying a late night barbecue.
So, don’t cuss Cattail’s presence in your pond or bog – respect its purposeful character, admire its tenacity to persevere, and realize its many benefits to you.
Requests for additional information in identification and use of native plants and fungi have come my way in recent months. While this column is a wonderful starting point, it’s clear that it some readers desire more information. In putting together a course designed to teach you how to teach yourself, I need your help: What has been your experience in trying to learn this knowledge yourself? Drop a note to P. O. Box 34, Millstone, WV 25261 or email chewsorganic@yahoo.com. I’d be delighted to hear from you.
