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Broadleaf Cattail

Typha latifolia

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in fresh waters of ponds, lakes, ditches, marshes, including in tidal freshwater marshes. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

51
Strong

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
5–10 feet
Spread
4–6 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Moist to standing water

Space about 5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 4 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
Late spring
Fruiting season
June to November

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 30 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 71 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (78)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

13CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Typha

  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Bellura densaPickerel Weed Border Moth, Pickerelweed Diver
  • Bellura obliquaCattail Border Moth, Cattail Diver
  • Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Dicymolomia julianalisJulia's Dicymolomia
  • Endothenia hebesanaVerbena Bud Moth
  • Epiblema otiosanaBidens Borer Moth
  • Globia oblongaOblong Sedge Borer Moth, Large Noagria
Show all 13
  • Limnaecia phragmitellaShy Cosmet, Cattail Moth
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Typha

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded eating Typha in Arkansas

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Arkansas, most records first.

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Birds that eat Typha 2

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Typhaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–10b
Flower color
Brown/copper or yellow
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
June
Fruit ends
November

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Broad Leaf Cat Tail; Common Cat Tail

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads aggressively. Spreads aggressively by creeping rhizomes to form dense colonies and may self seed. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources