Introduction
Cattails, also known by their scientific name Typha, are wetland plants that grow in dense clusters in shallow, fresh or brackish waters throughout much of the world. They thrive in wetlands, ditches, and pond edges in temperate and tropical areas.
Cattails have unique properties that make them ecologically important. Their leaves provide shelter and food sources while their sturdy stalks support the nests of birds and lodges of small mammals. Cattails spread both horizontally through rhizome propagation and through wind dispersal of seeds, allowing them to quickly colonize areas of shallow water. The furry “cattail” flower spike distinguishes this ubiquitous aquatic plant.
Cattails grow from 2-10 feet tall with long, flat leaves growing up to a half inch wide (Cattail | Description, Uses, & Facts).
Food Source
Cattails provide an important food source for many animals. The seeds produced by the cattail flower head are eaten by ducks, geese, swans, red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, and marsh wrens (Common Cattails). Cattails also produce shoots in early spring that are an important food source for muskrats and Canada geese. The tender white shoots and stalks can be eaten raw or cooked by humans as well (Cattails). Later in the season, the stalks become tough and fibrous, but continue to be eaten by muskrats, beavers, and other animals.
Beavers will gather young shoots and stalks to eat immediately and store older stalks in food caches under the water to eat later. Muskrats also eat the rhizomes and store them in food caches in their lodges. The seeds, shoots, and stalks of the cattail provide sustenance for many types of birds and mammals.
Shelter
Cattails provide important shelter and nesting areas for wildlife due to their dense growth. The dense stands of cattails act as protective cover for many animals, shielding them from predators and harsh weather. Cattails provide important food and cover for wildlife states that aquatic animals like frogs take refuge among the stalks of cattails. Mammals also utilize cattails for shelter and nest building. Common Cattails notes that muskrats and nutria construct lodges and dams within cattail colonies, while other mammals like deer, raccoons and turkeys hide within the dense growth.
Beaver Dams
Beavers build dams out of sticks, mud, rocks, and other materials to create ponds. Cattails growing along the water’s edge help stabilize these dams by rooting into the ground and providing structural integrity. Their dense root systems prevent leaks and erosion that could cause a beaver dam to fail.
When beavers construct dams, they transform streams and rivers into complex wetland habitats. The resulting ponds and marshes support abundant biodiversity of aquatic plants, fish, turtles, birds, and other wildlife. Cattails play an integral role in maintaining these vital ecosystems by reinforcing the dams that beavers build.
According to The Nature Conservancy, “Cattails have long, strappy leaves that help hold sediment in place. This prevents erosion and helps keep excess nutrients from reaching downstream waters.” 1 Their interwoven roots stabilize the dams, enabling beavers to create diverse wetland environments that support many species.
Bird Nesting
Cattails provide excellent nesting habitat for many species of birds. Two birds that commonly build nests in cattails are the red-winged blackbird and the marsh wren.
The red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a common sight in wetlands across North America. Males are black with bright red shoulder patches, while females are streaked brown and tan. Red-winged blackbirds build nests low in cattails above water or damp ground, weaving together leaves, grasses, and mud into a basket shape. The female incubates 3-5 eggs for 11-14 days before they hatch. She feeds the altricial young, which leave the nest in 10-11 days (Nesting among the cattails).
Marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris) are small brown birds that inhabit cattail marshes across North America. The male marsh wren builds up to 15 nests of grasses and cattail fluff within his territory, weaving globular structures with side entrance tubes. While his initial nests are for mating display, the female chooses one nest to lay 5-10 eggs and incubate them for 13-16 days. The male continues building unused nests during incubation and helps feed nestlings. The semiprecocial chicks fledge at 13-18 days old (The Marsh Wren’s Many Nests).
Muskrat Lodges
Muskrats build dome-shaped lodges in marshes and wetlands using cattails and other aquatic vegetation. They create winter dens with underwater entrances leading to dry inner chambers. Muskrats harvest cattails to eat the starchy rootstocks and incorporate the leaves into lodge construction for insulation. They weave the rigid cattail stems together with mud to make sturdy free-standing structures. Smaller nest chambers are built for breeding and raising young.
Muskrats are perhaps the most prolific builders of lodges comprised of cattails. Their dependence on aquatic vegetation for food and building material means muskrats thrive in habitats where cattails are abundant. Cattail marshes with stable water levels provide ideal habitat. Muskrats build lodges ranging from 3-6 feet tall and up to 15 feet in diameter using cattails along with other marsh plants like bulrushes, sedges, grasses, and water lilies (Meet the Muskrat: Push-Up Champion of Cattail Marshes). Their lodges are engineering marvels that withstand winter storms and provide sanctuary from predators.
Amphibians
Amphibians such as frogs, toads, and salamanders rely on cattails for habitat. The dense growth of cattail stands provides shelter and protection from predators. According to the Cattails Game Wiki, frogs are commonly found as prey living in cattails habitat. Cattails grow in aquatic areas which are critical for amphibian life stages.
The muddy areas around cattail stands are ideal habitat for amphibians to lay their eggs. Salamanders, newts, and other amphibians lay gelatinous egg masses attached to vegetation in the water. Cattails help shade and conceal these eggs.
After hatching, tadpoles and amphibian larvae remain in the water feeding on algae and aquatic plants. They use cattails as protection while completing their metamorphosis into adult frogs, toads and salamanders.
Insects
Cattails provide a unique habitat for many species of insects such as dragonflies and damselflies to feed, breed and take shelter. Both adult and larval stages of these insects rely heavily on cattails. The cattail-head bug Chilacis typhae lives and feeds on the fluffy flower spikes of cattail. Dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs on or under the leaves of cattails just above the waterline. The larvae of these insects, called nymphs, live in the water around the cattail stands and hide from predators until they are ready to emerge as adults. Both the adults and nymphs hunt for smaller insects around the cattails.
Mammals
Cattails provide important habitat for many mammals that live in and around wetlands. Moose will eat the stems and leaves of cattails as an important food source, especially in winter when other plants are less available. The dense growth of cattails also provides cover and shelter for moose as well as white-tailed deer, snowshoe hares, muskrats, and beavers 1.
Thick cattail stands give protection for deer fawns and other young mammals. Moose may calve within cattail marshes as the vegetation helps conceal newborn calves from predators. Cattails also offer escape cover from hunters and other dangers. In addition, small mammals like voles, shrews, and lemmings live among the protection of the stems and use cattails for nesting material 2.
The carbohydrate-rich rhizomes of cattails provide an important winter food source for muskrats, beavers, voles, and other mammals when aboveground vegetation is scarce. Muskrats will also construct dome-shaped lodges within cattail marshes, using the leaves and stems to build the protective structures 3. Overall, cattail stands offer vital habitat for a diversity of mammals.
Conclusion
Cattails provide essential food and shelter for a diverse range of animals. Beaver, muskrat, birds, amphibians, insects, and mammals all benefit greatly from the resources cattails provide. Cattails are an important staple food source for beaver and muskrat. The stalks are used to build lodges and dams. Many species of birds utilize cattails for nesting material and habitat. Amphibians thrive in the wetland environments created by cattails. Insects feed on cattail plants. And mammals utilize cattails for food and shelter. In summary, cattails are a vital component of wetland ecosystems, supporting a web of animal life.