The Herb Hound: CATTAILS

CATTAILS - Typha Latifolia, Typha Augustifolia, Typha Orientalis, Typha Augustata, Typha Glauca, Typha Domingensis, etc.

Also known as: Cattail, Nailrod, Reed-Mace, Bullrush Corndog grass, Hot dog on a stick, Super walmart of the swamp, etc.

Parts used: roots, leaves, cob, pollen.

Systems: liver, spleen, heart, female reproductive, urinary, lymphatic.

Properties: vulnerary, diuretic, emmenogogue, analgesic, antiseptic, nutritive, astringent, hemostatic, edible, sedative, tonic, anticoagulant, lithotriptic, anti-inflammatory.

CATTAIL is a member of the Typhaceae/Graminacae (grass) family. It is a perennial plant usually found growing near a water source. The plant has stiff, strap-like leaves that have a spongy texture on the inside. It has a cigar-shaped blossom that is tightly packed with tiny flowers; female flowers are on the bottom of the cigar while the male flowers are on the top. If the male and female parts meet then it is Typha Latifolia or the common cattail. If there is space between the male and female parts then it is Typha Augustifolia or the narrow leaf cattail. The roots grow horizontally and are very starchy. Cattail plants can get up to nine (9) feet tall and there are approximately 15 species of Typha around the globe. The male portion of the plant turns into pollen and then eventually into a small dried twig. The female portion turns into the brown cigar-shaped seed we all know.

CATTAIL has an interesting history - in a way it reminds me of hemp due to the amount of practical uses it has. The starch from the plant was found preserved in Paleolithic digs dating back tens of thousands of years - proving its use as an edible even then. The Native Americans have been consuming them for centuries showing that it wasn't merely a food for survival but rather an every day cuisine. The tender inner parts of the shoots were eaten like celery or asparagus and are often consumed raw, stir-fried, or steamed. The green flower spikes were eaten like corn. The white root core was baked, boiled, dried and ground into flour, fermented into ethyl alcohol, or eaten raw. The pollen was mixed with flour for biscuits, cookies, muffins, and other pastries. It also was used to thicken gravy and sauces. The seeds were added to bread or oatmeal and more recently made into oil and chicken feed. The starch was collected by peeling the root and crushing it in water, straining out the fibers. The heavy starch was washed in several changes of water and then dried for later use.

It has even been said that the USA almost won WWII with cattails. They were trying to find a nutritious food that was cheaper to give the troops when the war ended. It was discovered that one acre of cattails could produce 6,475 pounds of flour per year. In fact, it was so prolific that a study done by the Cattail Research Center of Syracuse University found that roughly 140 tons of rhizomes could be harvested per acre - that is 10 times the average yield for potatoes. (Makes one wonder why this isn't grown as a sustainable crop...)

Aside from food, cattail has many other uses. The fluff from the flower spikes was gathered and used for bedding, menstrual padding, diapers for babies, and even as a baby powder. It also was stuffed in pillows, life jackets, mattresses, sleeping bags, as insulation, to soundproof rooms, and as tinder. The leaves and roots were used to caulk barrels and boats; they were woven into baskets, chair seats, mats, water jugs, and even origami toys. The fluff also was mixed with lime and ashes to make a kind of cement that was said to be as hard as marble. The mats were often layered and used to cover sweat baths, tipis, and lodges; they were hung from homes with the belief that the cattail mats would protect one from lightning and bring rain. The dried cattail heads were often dipped in tallow for torches. The leaves were braided into cords for fishing and the dried stalks were used as arrows and hand drills. The pollen was once widely used for religious ceremonies until it was replaced by corn. The pollen also was eaten or added to flours or soups. It also was used in pyrotechnics to produce bright flashes of light. In China, the stems of the plant are used to make rayon and paper. Cattail is also a very popular cuisine that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. 'Nai Tang Pu Cai,' roughly translated, is 'milk soup of cattail' and is a regular at high grade feasts. The leaves are used for making fans and shoes and artistic useful crafts of all kinds.

Typha comes from the Greek language and means 'marsh'. Makes sense since you usually find cattails growing in or around water. Cattails are easy to identify in their mature state; however, in their youth they resemble members of the iris/orchid/lily families which are toxic. If you plan on harvesting roots or shoots, make sure you have the right plant. Cattails are oval at their base and not flat. They have a mild flavor and not much of a smell. If you have a plant that is aromatic and strong flavored then it is NOT cattail.

Cattails also have a few medicinal uses. The roots once were used for chronic dysentery, to increase urination, and for gonorrhea. They were soaked in milk and/or water to make a tea for diarrhea and abdominal cramping. The roots also were made into a paste and applied to boils, burns, wounds, and other skin issues. The root was 'bruised' and used as a poultice for insect bites, bruises, scrapes, etc. The plant was chewed on for coughs and the green flower spikes were consumed to treat diarrhea and digestive complaints. The fluff from the flower spikes was used in salves for smallpox, burns, and other skin conditions. The ash was said to be antiseptic and used on wounds and abrasions; it also was used to stop bleeding. The lower stems secrete an amber liquid that was used as a topical anesthetic before tooth extractions. In China it is used to treat nosebleeds, uterine bleeding, to promote lactation, prevent miscarriage, stop blood in the urine and stool, for atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, angina, to relieve pain, dissolve clots, improve circulation, and much more. In Chinese Materia Medica, cattails are considered sweet and neutral in nature, making them good for the heart, liver, and spleen. In Chinese herbal compounds cattails are referred to as 'Pu Huang.' There are even some studies being conducted on the plant for its possible use in lymphatic cancer.

Cattails are high in nutritive value also, offering beta carotene, Vitamin C, phosphorous, riboflavin, potassium, niacin, thiamine, amino acids, quercetin kaempferol, sterols, polysaccharides, boron, chromium, selenium, molybdenum, iron, copper, iodine, zinc, Vitamin K, manganese, magnesium, fiber, B6, sodium, etc. However, if the water supply to the cattails is tainted or suspicious AVOID HARVESTING them as they will also absorb mercury and aluminum, etc.

The shoots are best harvested in the early spring; the stem, pollen, and green flower spikes are best harvested in the summer; the root is best harvested in the fall and winter.

The Herb Hound

Thursday, May 10, 2018

CATTAILS

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