broadleaf cattail
Typha latifolia
USDA zones3 to 10
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moist to wet soil
Size5 to 10 feet tall4 to 6 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Grass/grass-like
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow , green , brown
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia) is a perennial for rain gardens, naturalized areas, and privacy screens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and moist to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Birds nest in the dense stands, and ducks and finches eat the seeds. Deer tend to browse other plants first. Cattails can take over wetlands, so a small pond or container makes them easier to control.
Pairs well with Royal fern, Swamp white oak, Jewelweed, and Sedge.
Native range
North America and Eu.