Page 280 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

Water - Loving

Plants

Cattails, Typha spp.

Traveling through wetlands, I am always happy to see
cattail spikes growing near the water’s edge. Practically
the whole plant is edible, depending on the time of
year. It is in the Typhaceae (Bulrush) Family.

Identification: Cattails are common in and near
marshes, ponds, and other wetland areas throughout
the world. The sword-like leaves are similar to many
grasses, but the plant is readily identifiable by its
brown corndog-like flowerheads.
Cattails are perennials and grow 5 to 8 feet (1.5m to 2.4
meters) tall. The alternate leaves are spear-shaped and
grow from a simple stem that terminates in a large
number of male flowers forming a spike at the end of
the stem. The flowers wither once the pollen is shed.
Cattails flower from May through July. Tiny female
flowers form a dense, sausage-shaped structure just flour extender for baking and for making cattail pan-
below the male spike. This structure can be up to a foot cakes. The leaves are used for weaving mats and bas-
long and is 1 to 2 inches (2.5 cm to 5 cm) in diameter. kets.
Tiny seeds grow on fine hairs. When ripe, the cottony Medicinal Use. Treating Skin Conditions:
fluff blows away to disperse the seeds. Every part of the cattail is useful for this purpose. The
Edible and Other Use: Cattail rhizomes are edi- starchy root makes a healing poultice for burns, boils,
ble and nutritious. They are made into a flour by scrap- sores, cuts, insect bites, and bruises. Pound the roots
ing the starch from the fibers, drying, and pounding. and use the pulp or split the root and bruise the fibers
They can also be boiled, steamed, or mashed and eaten inside, then apply the exposed pulp to the wound. The
like a potato. The small shoots on the rhizomes in early fuzz from the flowers treats small burns and skin irri-
spring are good peeled and sliced. The flavor is mildly tations. Apply it directly to the wound and cover with
sweet. a clean cloth.

In the spring, the outer part of the young plant can be Treating Small Wounds, Insect Bites,
peeled and eaten raw or cooked. In the summer, har- Toothaches, and Relieving Pain: The jelly-like
vest the green flower spike and remove the outer sap that seeps from the lower stems has antiseptic and
sheath like you would shuck corn. Boil the flower spike analgesic properties. I can usually find it between
and eat it like corn on the cob. The flavor is delicious. young leaves and scrape it up with the back of a knife.
In late summer, an abundance of pollen forms and can Use it for treating small wounds, especially when wor-
be harvested for edible and medicinal use. It is easy to ried about infection. It also acts as a powerful pain
collect quickly in a thick patch. Simply bend the pollen- killer when applied topically and can be ingested with-
laden stalk over and shake it into a bag or other con- out harm. It is an ideal pain reliever for toothaches,
tainer. This pollen makes an excellent thickener or teething pain, and sore gums, and it can also be used
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