Page 50 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Cattail, Typha spp. (TYPHACEAE)

CATTAIL is often abundant in wetlands, mudflats, zomes can be collected year-round; are best after
and roadside ditches. It forms 5 to 10 ft. (1.5-3 m) high flowering during fall and winter. In late spring/early
colonies. All species have edible parts. In North Amer- summer spikes can be shucked like corn, boiled or
ica Typha angustifolia and Typha latifolia are the most roasted, and eaten like corn on the cob.
common. Easy to identify, cattail is the ultimate sur- CATTAIL POLLEN FOR FLOUR SUBSTITUTE: Look
vival food, providing much-needed carbohydrates. for yellow spikes and you found the pollen. Put a
FLOWER: Flowering from late spring through plastic bag over the cattail and shake the pollen
mid-summer (depending on the area), green then loose. Use ¼ cup of cattail pollen and ¾ cups flour
yellow flower spikes rise from the plant. In large to equal 1 cup wheat flour in recipe of your choice.
species, the flower spike can be up to 12 inches (30 CATTAIL FLOUR: (recipe credit: Janice Schofield):
cm) long, and ½-2 inches (0.5-5 cm) thick. Often, Cattail flour is made using underground rhizomes.
you’ll notice older brown spikes from previous years, Dig out rhizomes and clean well. The inner core of
which look like old-fashioned torches or corn dogs.
the lower base of the cattail just above the rhizome
LEAF: Upright, sword-like, green, mostly basal leaves is also edible. You can keep the leaves to weave bas-
grow to the same height or slightly taller than the stiff kets, mats, or hats. While the rhizomes are still
flower stalk. wet, peel away the tough outer portion. Pound it

EDIBLE PARTS: starchy rhizomes, flowers, young with a mallet, which will help separate the starch
shoots, inner shoot parts, hearts of young plants, from the fibers. Once mashed, put in a jar and cov-
pollen er with water. Pour off water and discard stringy fi-
bers. The wet flour can be used immediately in bak-
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Many, including wound heal-
ing, or it can be dried and used or kept for later use.
ing, bleeding and kidney issues.
WARNING: Cattails absorb toxins from surround-
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Young shoots and
ing waters. Be careful where you harvest from.
plant hearts can be harvested before the plant is
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Blue Flag, Iris versicol-
in flower in the spring and eaten like asparagus, or
snacked on raw. Pollen can be collected and used or - Can resemble young cattail, but once in flower
as a flour substitute (freeze after collecting). Rhi- both are recognizable.
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