Davidiana Cattail (Typha davidiana)

Family: Typhaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Typha davidiana is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from June to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves, Shoots, Roots/Tubers, Flowers, Pollen

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet syrup. — Roots - raw or cooked.; It can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup.; The root can also be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours.; Rich in protein, this flour is used to make biscuits, cakes, bread etc.

Habitat & North American Range

Margins of lakes and rivers. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)