How are cattails used by wildlife?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
December 4, 2002
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
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In North America, there are three species of cattail--the broad-leaved (Typha latifolia Linnaeus), the southern (T. domingensis Persoon), and, introduced from Europe, the narrow-leaved (T. angustifolia Linnaeus)--and a hybrid, the blue-leaved (Typha X glauca Godron). Cattails are considered obligate wetland species, but the soils do not have to be wet when the plants are normally dormant during winter.
Cattail marshes are critical habitats to numerous animal species. The inflorescence is a spike with staminate (male) flowers at the top and pistillate (female) flowers below. Although the flowers are wind-pollinated, bees will collect the abundant pollen. Dragonfly and damselfly nymphs live among emergent vegetation like cattails and climb the shoots when ready to begin life as winged adults. Snails lay their eggs above the waterline on cattail and other shoots.
Yellow-headed (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) and red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) lace a sling of cattail leaves between branches over water and construct their nests in the sling. As the cattail leaves dry, they shrink securing the nest tightly within the branches. Marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris) weave a basket of cattail leaves suspended in cattails a few feet above the waterline.
Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) build nests using cattail and forage for frogs and snails among the standing plants. Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) nest, forage, and hide in cattails. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) molt and are flightless for a month late every summer, cattails provide the ducks with cover. Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator), and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) construct mounds with cattails and other herbaceous plants for their nests.
Beaver (Castor canadensis) and muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) line their dens with cattail and feed on the rhizomes. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) appear to survive winter weather better where they can bed-down among dry cattails.
Andy's Northern Ontario Wildflowers has a great page with photographs showing the differences between wetland habitats. A cattail marsh photograph is located about halfway down the page. To learn more about wetland habitats and view the photographs, click on the link:
http://www.ontariowildflower.com/wet.htm
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
Where do marshmallows come from? Herbal Folklore - July 8, 2002
How are cattails used by wildlife? Renfield's Garden - December 4, 2002
What plant was a first-aid kit? Herbal Folklore - December 2, 2002
How did cattails become a nuisance? Weird Plants - December 5, 2002
What was nettle cloth? Plants that Changed History - June 10, 2003
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