Hybrid cattail (Typha glauca)

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

Typha glauca is a PERENNIAL growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). 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. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

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

Rich in starch, they can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup. — Roots - raw or cooked.; Rich in starch, they 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, bread, cakes etc.

Habitat & North American Range

Shallow water. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)