Typha angustifolia

Typha angustifolia narrowleaf cattail

Plant grows in the wild/spontaneously Add to MyPlants View Locations

Narrowleaf cattail is a plant of shores, marshes and roadside ditches with wet soil, often in calcerous or saline habitats.  It has become common in roadside ditches where deicing salts are used.  Like in common cattails, the male and female flowers are located on the same plant, but there is a distinct gap (2-12 cm long) in the inflorescence between the female (located on lower part of the stem) and male (located on top part of the stem) portions.  The leaves are more narrow than those of common cattail, thus the common name.

Occasional in wet meadows, shores, marshes and ditches. Often grows in calcerous or brackish habitats.

See distriution map at BONAP.

Wetland codes
EMP: OBL
NCNE: OBL



Flowers late spring through early summer.

Common cattail

The leaves of narrowleaf cattail are a little bit more narrow than those of common cattail.

Narrowleaf cattail has a distinct gap in the inflorescence between female and male flowers, while common cattail does not.

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Typha angustifolia narrowleaf cattail

Plant grows in the wild/spontaneously
Add to MyPlants View Locations
Typha angustifolia gallery
Plant Life-Form
Common Names
narrowleaf cattail