# The incredible Cattail



## Adonis (Sep 18, 2008)

I "borrowed" this write up from somewhere else, its well done and I think its something everyone should know.. 

"I can think of no other plant that is more useful than the cattail. This plant is a gold mine of survival utility. It is a four-season food, medicinal, and utility plant. Cattail is a member of the grass family, Gramineae, as are rice, corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Just about any place you can find year-round standing water or wet soil, you can usually find cattails.

In just about any survival situation, one of the first plants I look for is the cattail. As a food plant, cattails are outstanding and offer a variety of food products according to the season. In early spring, dig up the roots. These can be removed, peeled, and eaten, added to other spring greens for a salad, or cooked in stews or alone as a pot herb. As the plant growth progresses to where the shoots reach a height of two to three feet above the water, peel and eat them.

These spikes are found in the center of the plant and form a cylindrical projection that can only be detected when you’re close to the plant. Peel back the leaves in the same way you would shuck corn, and both the male portion above and the female below can be seen. The female portion will later develop into the familiar brown “cattail” seed head from which the plant’s name is derived. The male portion will atrophy into a small dried twig that may easily break off the top of the seed head. Both the male and female pollen spikes can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob, and both are delicious. The male portion provides a bigger meal at this stage. They have a flavor that is corn-like, but distinct from corn. I cannot imagine anyone finding the flavor objectionable. Both may also be eaten raw.

To extract the flour or starch from the cattail root, simply collect the roots, wash, and peel them. Next, break up the roots under water. The flour will begin to separate from the fibers. Continue this process until the fibers are all separated and the sweet flour is removed. Remove the fiber and pour off the excess water. Allow the remaining flour slurry to dry by placing near a fire or using the sun.

Cattail root flour also contains gluten. Gluten is the constituent in wheat flour that allows flour to rise in yeast breads. The Iroquois Indians macerated and boiled the roots to produce a fine syrup, which they used in a corn meal pudding and to sweeten other dishes. Some Indians burned the mature brown seed heads to extract the small seeds from the fluff, which was used to make gruels and added to soups.


The medicinal uses of cattails include poultices made from the split and bruised roots that can be applied to cuts, wounds, burns, stings, and bruises. The ash of the burned cattail leaves can be used as an antiseptic or styptic for wounds. A small drop of a honey-like excretion, often found near the base of the plant, can be used as an antiseptic for small wounds and toothaches.

The utility of this cattail is limited only by your imagination. The dried stalks can be used for hand drills and arrow shafts. The seed heads and dried leaves can be used as tinder. The seed head fluff can be used for pillow and bedding stuffing or as a down-like insulation in clothing. The leaves can be used for construction of shelters or for woven seats and backs of chairs, which has been a traditional use for hundreds of years.

They can be woven into baskets, hats, mats, and beds. The dried seed heads attached to their stalks can be dipped into melted animal fat or oil and used as torches.

Some of this imformation was from the book Eat the Weeds"


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## finn (Sep 18, 2008)

Just be careful about eating cattails from polluted water sources...


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## bikegeek666 (Nov 16, 2008)

i'm pretty sure that's from tom brown's field guide to wild edible and medicinal plants.


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## foxtailV (Jun 11, 2010)

eat cat\tails they keep you skiitish....


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## fredbrown7 (Jun 23, 2010)

you can use the bowl or other wise known as the base of the root for meth (hydrocloric ephederine) it originated in china but spread like wild fire around the US


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## Tare (Jun 23, 2010)

Yeah, looks like thats from the Tom Brown series. Thanks for spreading the knowledge.


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