They are one of the first plants to colonize newly formed wetlands and they can aggressively out compete other wetland plant species resulting in a cattail marsh.
The leaves of cattails are long and narrow (up to 6 or 8 feet tall and up to one inch in width). The flowering stems produce flower spikes that have the male flower parts on the top and the female flower parts on the bottom. The female flowers (sometimes referred to as "punks") are the typical brown, cigar-shaped heads that we recognize as the cattail.
There are two common species of Cattails found in Vermont. The two species grow in close proximity to each other.
The first species is the Common or Wide-leaved Cattail (Typha latifolia) (picture to the right). The "punk" is up to one inch in diameter. There is no separation between the male and female flower parts.
The "punk" of the Common Cattail is a dark-chocolate brown. The "punk" of the Narrow-leaved Cattail tends to be a lighter brown.
Once ripe, the "punks" disintegrate into fluff-balls dispersing the tiny seeds by the wind. The seeds provide an ample food source and the fluff provides abundant nesting material for many marsh birds.
While sometimes called "bulrushes", the term bulrush more appropriately describes a member of the sedge family.
