Plant Details

Typha latifolia

Reedmace, Broadleaf cattail, Bullrush, Nailrod

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Common names

65 names · 46 languages
EnglishYour language
  • broad-leaved cattail[1]
  • Broadleaf cattail[1]
  • Bullrush
+6 more namesShow fewer names
  • bulrush[1]
  • cat's tail[1]
  • common cattail[1]
  • lesser reedmace[1]
  • Nailrod
  • Reedmace[1]
Other languages (45)
Dutch
  • Grote Lisdodde[1]
French
  • massette à larges feuilles[1]
  • Quenouille à feuilles larges[1]
Ainu
Arabic
  • بوط عريض الأوراق[1]
Belarusian
  • Рагоз шыракалісты[1]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 宽叶香蒲[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 寬葉香蒲[1]
Cree
Croatian
  • Širokolisni rogoz[1]
Czech
  • orobinec širokolistý[1]
  • orobinec širolistý[1]
Danish
  • Bredbladet dunhammer[1]
Downriver Halkomelem
  • st̕ᶿéʔqən[1]
Estonian
  • laialehine hundinui[1]
Finnish
  • leveäosmankäämi[1]
Francais Du Canada
  • Quenouille à feuilles larges[1]
German
  • Breitblättriger Rohrkolben[1]
  • Großer Rohrkolben[1]
Hebrew
  • סוף רחב-עלים[1]
Hungarian
  • széleslevelű gyékény[1]
Irish
  • Coigeal na mban sí[1]
Italian
  • Lisca maggiore[1]
Japanese
Korean
  • 큰잎부들[1]
Latvian
  • platlapu vilkvālīte[1]
Lithuanian
  • Plačialapis švendras[1]
Miami
Mono
Nahuatl
  • tol-patlacti[1]
Norwegian
  • brei dunkjevle[1]
Nuuchahnulth
  • sanaḥaał[1]
Ojibwe
Polish
  • Pałka szerokolistna[1]
Portuguese
  • Tabua-de-folha-larga[1]
Romanian
Russian
  • Рогоз широколистный[1]
Seneca
  • O’éohdo:t[1]
Slovak
  • pálka širokolistá[1]
Slovenian
  • Širokolistni rogoz[1]
Spanish
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Tule[1]
  • Tule cola de gato[1]
Swedish
  • Bredkaveldun[1]
Thai
  • ธูปฤๅษีใบกว้าง[1]
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Рогіз широколистий[1]
Upriver Halkomelem
  • stth’e’qun[1]
Welsh
  • Cynffon y gath[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Typha latifolia — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • broadleaf cattail — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Tule cola de gato — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • bulrush — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • common cattail — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • boga — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • broad-leaved cattail — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • balca — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Großer Rohrkolben — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • tol-patlacti — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • cat's tail — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Chuspata — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • leveäosmankäämi — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Рогоз широколистный — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • massette à larges feuilles — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • boga de fulla ampla — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • סוף רחב-עלים — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • nabagashk — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Enea — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • orobinec širokolistý — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Bredkaveldun — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • ガマ — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Grote lisdodde — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • laialehine hundinui — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Bredbladet dunhammer — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Plačialapis švendras — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Quenouille à feuilles larges — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • lesser reedmace — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Totora — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • orobinec širolistý — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • brei dunkjevle — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Pałka szerokolistna — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Tabua-de-folha-larga — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Breitblättriger Rohrkolben — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Reedmace — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • 宽叶香蒲 — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • O’éohdo:t — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • 寬葉香蒲 — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Tule — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Širokolisni rogoz — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Рогіз широколистий — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • 큰잎부들 — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Рагоз шыракалісты — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • ธูปฤๅษีใบกว้าง — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • apahkwaya — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • széleslevelű gyékény — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • pasihkânak — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • pasân — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • otâwask — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • بوط عريض الأوراق — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Širokolistni rogoz — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Papură — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • cil — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Coigeal na mban sí — results[0].names[55]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Lisca maggiore — results[0].names[56]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • pálka širokolistá — results[0].names[57]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Cynffon y gath — results[0].names[58]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • Quenouille à feuilles larges — results[0].names[59]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • shikina — results[0].names[60]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • toiba — results[0].names[61]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • st̕ᶿéʔqən — results[0].names[62]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • platlapu vilkvālīte — results[0].names[63]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • sanaḥaał — results[0].names[64]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.
  • stth’e’qun — results[0].names[65]; taxon id 48685; Typha latifolia.

General information

Scientific name: Typha latifolia
Accepted name (Kew): Typha latifolia L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Typhaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Typha (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Reedmace, Broadleaf cattail, Bullrush, Nailrod
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Aquatic
Catalogue size class: Medium
Height: 1.52–3.05 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 1.22–1.83 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Fast
Sources [3]
Foliage: None
Growth habit: Erect, Spreading

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Perennial
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Frequent Standing Water, Moist, Occasionally Wet

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand
Sources [3]
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Condiment, Oil, Pollen, Root, Stem, Seed
Edibility rating:
(5)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Cosmetic use, Biomass production, Fibre, Oil, Paper, Stuffing, Bee forage, Carbon farming

Description

The root of the plant can be eaten both raw and cooked, similar to potatoes. They can also be soaked and then cooked to make a sweet syrup. Additionally, the roots can be dried and ground into a protein-rich powder that can be mixed with wheat flour for preparing various baked goods. This plant can produce as much as eight tons of flour per hectare. The best time to harvest the plant is from late autumn to early spring, as this is when the starch content is the highest. Young shoots of the plant in spring can be eaten raw or cooked and are a good substitute for asparagus. The taste is compared to that of cucumber, and even when the shoots are 50 cm long, they are still usable. The core of a mature stem can also be eaten raw or cooked, provided the outer layers are removed. This part of the plant is known as 'Cossack asparagus.' Immature flowering 'cigars' of the plant can be eaten raw, cooked, or added to soup, and they taste like sweet corn. The seeds of the plant are small and tricky to use but have a pleasant, nutty flavor when roasted. They can be ground into flour for making cakes, and edible oil can also be extracted from them. The pollen of the plant can be consumed raw or cooked and is high in protein. It can be used as a flour additive for bread, oatmeal, and more, and can even be eaten with the young flowers. The pollen can be harvested by tapping the flower stalks over a container and brushing with a fine brush, which promotes pollination of the plant and allows for the collection of both pollen and seeds.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/07
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 252338; name ID 270918; Typha L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1154590; name ID 271005; Typha latifolia L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Typha latifolia

    Taxonomic data from WCVP, version 16.0, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. This shares the Kew WCVP evidence base cited on this page.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 1452238, ID 59V6S: Typha latifolia L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Typha latifolia — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .