View photos of the edible plant Typha latifolia (Broadleaf cattail), profiled in the Wild Edible Series: Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Sonoran, Southern California, Texas, and Utah.
A passage from Wild Edible Plants of Colorado:
Cattail is an aquatic plant associated with shallow sections of ponds and lakes. Several species are found in
Colorado, however, Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia) is the most common.
A passage from Southern California Food Plants:
Several species of Cattail are common throughout California. It is an aquatic plant, and is found in freshwater marshes, swampy areas, and in shallow
sections of ponds and lakes.
A passage from Sonoran Desert Food Plants:
Utilized worldwide, Cattail is one of the more significant food plants. The young leafing shoots (2’ or under) are
collected and used as a potherb, or cooked and added to soups, etc.
A passage from Wild Edible Plants of Texas:
Cattail pollen is collected by banging/shaking the mature punks in a container. Rich in protein, the pollen can be added to other flours in making baked goods (or eaten as a gruel).
A passage from Wild Edible Plants of New Mexico:
The post–flowering roots of Cattail are utilized by cutting away the outer fibrous layers. This leaves a starchy inner core, which can be eaten as is, or cooked and eaten, or dried, ground, and shifted, and utilized as a nutritious flour.
