grow food on lawns

The four North American cattails are: T. latifolia, T. angustifolia, T. glauca, and T. domengensis. T. latifolia has a range including Europe and Asia (Mohlenbrock 1970). In North America, it ranges widely from Alaska, through Canada, throughout the U.S. and into Mexico (Hotchkiss & Dozier 1949). It is common in every county in Illinois (Mohlenbrock 1970). T. angustifolia grows in Africa, Europe, and Asia (Mohlenbrock 1970). In North America, it ranges from the Northeast to the Midwest and also California (Hotchkiss & Dozier 1949). In Illinois it occurs throughout most of the state (Mohlenbrock 1970). Besides North America, T. qlauca and T. domengensis are also found in Europe. These two however, do not occur in Illinois. In the U.S., T. glauca ranges from the upper Midwest and Northeast down the Altantic coast to Florida and into Alabama. It also occurs in California. T. domengensis, being well adapted to brackish waters, grows along the coast from Delaware to Mexico and also occurs in the Southwest.

Many common names are used for cattails. T. latifolia goes by the name broadleaf cattail, common cattail and soft flag. T. angustifolia has been called narrow leaf cattail and nail rod. Blue cattail and blue flag describe T. glauca. T. domengensis is commonly known as southern cattail. Other names include flagtail, marsh beetle, blackcap, water torch and candlewick, cat-of-nine tails and reed mace (Coon 1960). Some Native American names have been translated as prairie chicken feathers, eye itch, and roof grass.

Typha's wide range can be accounted for by several features both physiologically and anatomically. Although Cattails usually grow in fresh water conditions, alkali and brackish waters are also tolerated. It grows most commonly in low elevations but can be found in high elevations (Hotchkiss et al, Niethammer 1974). It can establish itself quickly on wet mud via light wind-blown seeds and then form dense colonies through shoot formation arising from rhizomes. Finally, the colonies remain over time because Typha is a perennial (Mohlenbrock 1970).

Although this plant's habit is quite simplified, it is considered by some to be highly advanced (Mohlenbrock 1970). Shoots arise from a stout rhizome. The stem terminates in a spike with unisexual flowers, the males being more terminal. The male flowers fall off after maturity and the fruits develop from the bottom of the spike upwards. Several flat cauline leaves up to 22mm wide, can reach four meters in length (Mohlenbrock 1970). The rhizome at the base of a plant tends to be somewhat enlarged.

Species can be identified by size, leaves, and flowers. T. latifolia's stem can reach four meters. Usually there are: eight or more leaves which are between waist to over head high. Leaves are wide, being between eight and 22mm. Male and female flowers are generally contiguous. Pollen grains are borne in groups of four (Mohlenbrock 1970, Hotchkiss et al.) The stem of T. angustifolia grows to 1.5 meters. Narrow leaves between four and eight mm are shorter than head height. Male and female flowers are separated. Pollen grains are borne singly (Mohlenbrock 1970, Hotchkiss et al.). T. qlauca and T.domengensis are similar. Both grow taller than a person, have male and female flowers separated by a space and have leaves to 11mm wide. T. glauca, however, has eight to 12 bluish leaves and a reddish-brown female spike at maturity. The mature female spikes of T. domengensis are light-brown and generally have six to nine leaves lacking the blue tint (Hotchkiss et al.).

The entire plant has many uses. Virtually all parts are edible. The rhizome, stem, leaf, and spike can all be used for consumption. Most of the plant has been used for medicinal purposes. Finally, parts of the plant including the leaves, spikes, and mature seeds or "fluff", have functioned for other miscellaneous purposes.

Even though parts of the plant are very fibrous, they can be edible. The enlarged portion of the rhizome at the base of each plant can be used in two ways. It is very starchy and when sliced can be used as a potato substitute. It can also be ground and used as flour. Niethammer (1974) reports that the average rhizome production per acre is ten times greater than that of potatoes. And that when it is ground into flour produces 32 tons per acre, greater than that of wheat, rye, and other grains. Rhizome shoots, young leaf shoots, the inner stem and immature spike can all be used like a vegetable. The pollen can be used as flour and the "fluff" when mixed with tallow was used like chewing gum (Niethammer 1974).

Different parts of cattails should be harvested at different times of the year and require different ways of processing. It is suggested to collect the rhizomes and rhizome shoots in late fall to early spring. The fibrous outer layers should be peeled off while still wet. In spring, the "bulbous" base and shoots can be pickled. The shoot can be used raw as in salads or used in stew. Niethammer (1974) suggests to lightly cook them and are best when still crunchy. The enlarged base can be boiled, sliced, then fried. The Apache liked to use them in a stew. To make a flour, the rhizome is ground down and the fibers are removed. The flour can be dried and stored for later use (Niethammer 1974).

Also in early spring, young shoots can be readily pulled up, leaves and all. Leaves are peeled exposing a white center up to 18 inches long. This is known as "cossack asparaguso" (Niethammer 1974). In early summer, immature green flower spikes can cut off below the base. After removing the outer layers, boil the spike for 10 minutes and eat like corn on the cob. The flavor is good but the texture is unusual (Niethammer 1974). During summer, the inner stalk can be used by peeling the outer layers away, cutting it up into small sections, boil and serve with butter like a vegetable. Also during this time, the pollen may be collected.

Pollen can be used several ways. Collect by shaking spikes into a bowl or cloth. It can then be used like flour. But it resists wetting and is easier to use when mixed 50/50 with grain flour. Coon (1960) suggests mixing it with any pancake mix to make sunshine flapjacks. Pima natives made muffins with the pollen. Other uses of the pollen are as a soup thickener and by the Yumans as a hot cereal (Coon 1960, Niethammer 1974).

The fuzz or mature fruits was used by some Native Americans by mixing it with tallow to produce a chewing gum.

Cattails were used medicinally, by many Native American groups. Dakota, Omaho, Pawnee, and Winnebago used the fuzz on burns and like baby powder to prevent chafing. Chippewa, Ojibwa and Patawatomi applied crushed root topically to sores and for the treatment of inflamation. Delaware considered the root as a cure for kidney stones. The Houma treated whooping cough by steeping the flowering stem. The young flower heads were eaten by Washoe to cure diarrhea (Duke).

The cattail’s every part has uses. It’s easy to harvest, very tasty, and highly nutritious. It was a major staple for the American Indians, who found it in such great supply, they didn’t need to cultivate it. The settlers missed out when they ignored this great food and destroyed its habitats, instead of cultivating it.

Before the flower forms, the shoots—prized as "Cossack’s asparagus" in Russia—are fantastic. You can peel and eat them well into the summer.

They're like a combination of tender zucchini and cucumbers, adding a refreshing texture and flavor to salads. I love mixing them with pungent mustard greens to balance their mildness. Added to soup towards the end of cooking, they retain a refreshing crunchiness. They're superb in stir-fry dishes, more than suitable for sandwiches, and excellent in virtually any context. I love sliced cattail hearts, sautéed in sesame oil with wild carrots and ginger.

Harvest cattail shoots after some dry weather, when the ground is solid, in the least muddy locations. Select the largest shoots that haven't begun to flower, and use both hands to separate the outer leaves from the core, all the way to the base of the plant. Now grab the inner core with both hands, as close to the base as possible, and pull it out. Peel and discard the outermost layers of leaves from the top down, until you reach the edible part, which is soft enough to pinch through with your thumbnail (the rule-of-thumb). There are more layers to discard toward the top, so you must do more peeling there. Cut off completely tough upper parts with a pocket knife or garden shears in the field, so you’ll have less to carry. Note: Collecting shoots will cover your hands with a sticky, mucilaginous jelly. Scrape it off the plant into a plastic bag, and use it to impart a slight okra-like thickening effect to soups. The shoot provide beta carotene, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin C.

The proportions of food to waste varies with the size of the shoot. You'll get the best yield just before the flowers begin to develop. A few huge, late-spring stalks provide enough delicious food for a meal. Some stalks grow tall, and become inedibly fibrous with developing flowers by late spring, although just before the summer solstice, you can often gather tender shoots, immature flower heads, and pollen at the same time.

You can clip off and eat the male portions of the immature, green, flower head. Steam or simmer it for ten minutes. It tastes vaguely like its distant relative, corn, and there’s even a central cob-like core. Because it's dry, serve it with a topping of sauce, seasoned oil, or butter. Sometimes I also gnaw on the cooked female portions, but there’s very little to them. It’s easier to remove the flesh from the woody core, if desired, after steaming. This adds a rich, filling element to any dish, and it's one of the best wild vegetarian sources of protein, unsaturated fat, and calories. It also provides beta-carotene and minerals.

When the male flowers ripen, just before the summer solstice, they produce considerable quantities of golden pollen. People pay outrageous prices in health stores for tiny capsules of the bee pollen—a source of minerals, enzymes, protein, and energy. Cattail pollen beats the commercial variety in flavor, energy content, freshness, nutrition, and price. To collect the pollen in its short season, wait for a few calm days, so your harvest isn't scattered by wind. Bend the flower heads into a large paper bag and shake it gently. Keep the bag’s opening as narrow as possible, so the pollen won't blow away. Sift out the trash, and use the pollen as golden flour in baking breads, muffins, pancakes, or waffles. It doesn't rise, and it's time-consuming to collect in quantity, so I generally mix it with at least three times as much whole-grain flour. You can also eat the pollen raw, sprinkled on yogurt, fruit shakes, oatmeal, and salads.

During fall, winter, and early spring, the cattail rhizomes store food. Digging up the thick, matted rhizomes from the muck, especially in cold weather, is not easy. After years of procrastination, I determined that, as a foraging teacher, the time had come to experiment with cattail rhizomes. Late one autumn, a friend and I went to gather cattail rhizomes from Central Park. It was so messy, I emerged from the park splattered with muck, looking more like a “Wildman” than I had ever intended. We hauled two dripping shopping bags across Manhattan, into her apartment and onto her balcony. It took half an hour hosing down our harvest, and the mud clogged the drain.

We peeled off the rhizomes’ outer layers, still imbued with mud, then worked the starch from the fibers with our fingers, in a large bowl of water. The water became cloudy with the starch. We waited an hour to let the starch settle, and poured off the water, getting enough sweet, tasty starch to thicken a small pot of soup—hardly worth the effort.

An alternate method is to tear apart the washed rhizomes and let them dry, pound the fibers to free the starch, and sift. This yields as about as much starch as the previous method. However, I've received reliable reports that people in other parts of the country had better results. Perhaps rhizome quality varies.

I've also tried chewing on the fibers inside the cleaned rhizomes and swallowing the starch, which is very tasty. However, the digging and cleaning is so much work, I'd have to be starving in the winter to bother. Furthermore there are reports that eating the starch of some species raw may cause vomiting.

The buds of the following year's shoots, attached to the rhizomes, are also edible. Although they make a tasty cooked vegetable, I find them too small to be worth digging up and cleaning, although their size may also vary.

Collecting the flower heads and pollen doesn't harm the plant, because cattails spread locally by their rhizomes—the seeds are for establishing new colonies, and each flower head makes thousands of these. Collecting a small fraction of the shoots also does no damage, since the colony continually regenerates new shoots. Since nobody wants to sink into the mud, people normally collect at the periphery of the stand. Of course, if the stand is small, it's already struggling to survive adverse conditions. Finding a larger stand elsewhere will increase your harvest, and give the embattled plants a chance.

The Indians also cattails medicinally: They applied the jelly from between the young leaves to wounds, sores, boils, carbuncles, external inflammations, and boils, to soothe pain.

Besides its medicinal uses, the dried leaves were also twisted into dolls and toy animals for children, much like corn-husk dolls found today. Cattail leaves can be used to thatch roofs, weave beautiful baskets, as seating for the backs of chairs, and to make mats. Archeologists have excavated cattail mats over 10,000 years old from Nevada cave.

No longer edible once the pollen is gone, the brown flower heads make good "punks," supporting a slowly-burning flame, with a smoke that drives insects away. The fluffy, white seeds were once used for stuffing blankets, pillows and toys. The Indians put them inside moccasins and around cradles, for additional warmth. After hours of collecting, I once made a cattail fluff pillow, but something went wrong: My girlfriend sewed shut a pillowcase with the white seeds inside, and I went to sleep happy, on the softest pillow I ever felt. This mood quickly vanished when I awoke at 2:00 AM:. My head was on top of the pillow, but my right arm had "disappeared." I discovered it beneath the pillow. It had "fallen asleep" so badly, it seemed disembodied. After I shook it awake, I wished I hadn’t. There was a row of hives from one end of the arm to the other, wherever it had pressed into the pillow. They itched so badly, it seemed to require a forest of jewelweed to quell the torment. I had never heard of this reaction in any of the books that lavishly praise cattail fluff as stuffing! Confident that my "allergy" was unique, I handed the pillow to my girlfriend the next evening. She agreed that it was the best pillow ever—until the next morning, when the hives marred her once-beautiful face. She was so angry, she wouldn't talk to me until the hives healed. I learned later that my mistake had been not using thick batting material to enclose the stuffing.

Cattails and their associated microorganisms improve water and soil quality. They render organic pollution harmless, and fix atmospheric nitrogen, bringing it back into the food chain. They've even been planted along the Nile river to reduce soil salinity.


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Cattail Recipes


Cattail Fried Rice
Pasta With Cat's Tail

Raw Cattail Soup


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One should really make sure the soil in one's front yard (or wherever) isn't contaminated with nasty chemicals before growing food for consumption in it. Lead, PCBs and weed killers like Roundup all spring to mind as hazards. I would say this is particularly true in cities where anything might have once existed where your lawn is now, but really, it's true of anywhere that has been inhabited by humans in the 20th century.

Don't let some tripping hippie let you forget fundamentals like this. Check the safety of your environment before relying on it for stuff you put on wounds or in your body!! etc.

See:

http://www.sfimc.net/news/2004/06/1698036_comment.php

Click here:

http://www.sfimc.net/news/2004/06/1697039_comment.php#1697062