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The incredible cattail
The super Wal-Mart of the swamp

By Kevin F. Duffy
I can think of no other North American plant that is more useful than the cattail. This wonderful plant is a virtual gold mine of survival utility. It is a four-season food, medicinal, and utility plant. What other plant can boast eight food products, three medicinals, and at least 12 other functional uses?


Cattails in winter The Common Cattail (Typha latifolia) and its brethren Narrowleaf Cattail (Typha angustifolia), Southern Cattail (Typha domingensis), and Blue Cattail (Typha Glauca), have representatives found throughout North America and most of the world. While living in Northern Japan, I spent many chilly mornings in snow storms among miles of cattails while duck hunting. Cattail is a member of the grass family, Gramineae, as are rice, corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rye, just to mention a few. Of the 15 most commonly consumed domesticated plant foods, 10 are grasses. However, of more than 1300 wild grasses, none holds a loftier position as a survival food than cattail. Just about any place you can find year-round standing water or wet soil, you can usually find cattails.
In Euell Gibbons’ Stalking the Wild Asparagus, his chapter on cattails is titled “Supermarket of the Swamp.” As you will see, this title aptly applies to the cattail. However, due to its medicinal and utilitarian uses, we may want to mentally modify the title to “Super Wal-Mart of the Swamp.”

Identification

Cattails are readily identified by the characteristic brown seed head. There are some poisonous look-alikes that may be mistaken for cattail, but none of these look-alikes possess the brown seed head.
Cattail, Common and Narrow-leaf
Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) and Yellow Flag (Iris pseudoacorus) and other members of the iris family all possess the cattail-like leaves, but none possesses the brown seed head. All members of the Iris family are poisonous. Another look-alike which is not poisonous, but whose leaves look more like cattail than iris is the Sweet Flag (Acorus calumus). Sweet Flag has a very pleasant spicy, sweet aroma when the leaves are bruised. It also does not posses the brown seed head. Neither the irises nor cattail has the sweet, spicy aroma. I have seen large stands of cattails and sweet flag growing side by side. As with all wild edibles, positive identification is essential. If you are not sure, do not eat it.
Corms, shoots, and spikes

In just about any survival situation, whether self-imposed or not, 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 to locate the small pointed shoots called corms. 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 like the corms, or sautee. This food product is also known as “Cossack Asparagus” due to the Russians’ fondness for it.
In late spring to early summer, some of my favorite food products come into fruition on the cattail. Soon after these shoots become available, the green female bloom spikes and the male pollen spikes begin to emerge. These spikes can be 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.

Pollen and root starch

Later, the male pollen head will begin to develop an abundance of yellow pollen with a talcum powder consistency that can easily be shaken off into any container. Several pounds of this can be collected in less than an hour. The traditional use of this pollen is to substitute for some the flour in pancakes to make cattail pancakes. This also works well with cornbread. Other uses of the pollen include thickeners or flour extenders for breads, cakes, etc.
Cooked male and female pollen and bloom spikes
In late summer to early fall, the tender inner portions of the leaf stalk may still be collected, but the availability of this Cossack Asparagus begins to dwindle, due to the toughening up of the plant. During this period and all the way to spring, the most abundant food product, the root starch, may be harvested. It is so abundant, a study was conducted at the Cattail Research Center of Syracuse University’s Department of Plant Sciences. The chief investigator of the project was Leland Marsh. The reported results were as follows:
Yields are fantastic. Marsh discovered he could harvest 140 tons of rhizomes per acre near Wolcott, NY. That represents something more than 10 times the average yield per acre of potatoes. In terms of dry weight of cattail flour, the 140 tons of roots would yield approximately 32 tons.
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.

Medicinal and other uses

The medicinal uses of cattails include poultices made from the split and bruised roots that can be applied to cuts, Yellow Flag, a poisonous cattail look-alike.
None of the look-alikes has the characteristic brown seed head.
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.
The next time you see “The Super Wal-Mart of the Swamp,” why don’t you do some shopping?

 

Frank's Carpet Bear Steak!

I like your version of carpet bear steak, Frank....you could have your own celebrity survival cooking show. You may also be inventing a whole new lifestyle kind of regional cooking to compete with Cajun, TexMex and Creole cookery. If you do indeed publish your new cuisine in book form, may I impose upon our new formed friendship for a signed first edition copy??

 

While my belly was rumbling, I swear I thought I heard a pan-flute or one of those American Indian flutes? Not from my bum, but from somewhere off in the distance...I wonder if I have a neighbor?

 

I'm honored by your request Chello. "Recipes of a Pioneer Divorce Lawyer." Maybe Amazon would be interested. I always keep my eye out for new income producing opportunities. That's something I might be able to work at around the camp fire at night. Thank you for the splendid idea.

 

Be sure that meat is very thoroughly cooked. As Sea said Trichinosis is not something to play with. Interestingly some sources say it was first discovered in Switzerland when a young maid died of it. Typically it was found in pork (bacon for one is documented according to strict regulations and frozen for a certain number of hours at certain temperatures before it can be declared "certified and free of trichinae) but to be honest I don't think there has been a case of trichinosis documented from pork in 50 or 60 years. Just cook it well, you don't want to become worm food.
Enjoying the thread.......Good luck.

 

I am most pleased to make your acquaintance Mr (or is it Ms) E.L. My new friends have such creative appellations that I feel positively ordinary using my own name but originally I thought it's use might afford me some automatic recognition, given the certain amount of fame I earned through my billboards. In any case, it is my pleasure.

You sound as though you are familiar with diseased meat. Does this come from personal experience. By chance, are you a hunter who regularly brings down big game? This is an intriguing thought for me, almost a fantasy. You see, I have always wanted to hunt elephants. Alas, I may never be able to realize this dream but if you have, please share so I can at least have the vicarious thrill of the hunt.

I am very much in need of a hammer and some chisels. Would you be interested in trading my newly acquired bear skinning skill for tools of this sort?

 

Fortune favours the cautiously bold!

Pan flutes may indicate a threat or an opportunity! Fortune favours the cautiously bold!

It is possible that you may have a neighbour....or you may just be merely hallucinating. Starvation and the deprivation of human company will do that. You may also be exhausted by lack of sleep due to a healthily hyperactive sense of paranoia, what with home invading bears and expected retribution from ornery cowboys tracking down the local vealnapper. I recommend getting some good quality sleep if you can.

I remember many a time on gun picket when with physical exhaustion and extreme lack of sleep, I would begin imagining things and having some visual hallucinations. Living for long periods on combat rations doesn't help much either....some hallucinations were olfactory as well as visual....I swear, one time, someone was cooking a beef vindaloo just outside of the perimeter.

On the other hand, this noise of pan flutes may be a kind of Peruvian wet-back siren, intent of luring you away from your stash of carpet bear steak. Perhaps, if it is indeed a real female person producing the music, you may wish consider bartering a portion of carpet bear steak for a delectable portion of hers, if you like the cut of her jib. (I think my maritime law knowledge sometimes influences my turn of expression along nautical lines)

 

A bear gall bladder love potion recipe could be a gold mine!

I can see the recipe for this bear gall bladder love potion propelling Frank's book, "Recipes of a Pioneer Divorce Lawyer", into a non fictional fictional best selling celebrity cook book....I can see endorsements by Oprah....Survivor Man, "Bear" Grylls....um...maybe not "Bear" Grylls....but certainly CHUCK NORRIS!!! THis could be a gold mine....bugger tawdry sordid divorce photography....There's much more to be made as Frank's literary agent and publicist!! Yes...Hollywood...Hollywood...I see a film...an epic film in 3D with ....well I haven't thought of a famous Holywood Star to play Frank....but I'm thinking maybe Johnny Dep....besides, Hollywood can do so much with CGI these days...just the celeb voice would be enough if recognisable.

I really must get some decent sleep....I think I'm hallucinating again.

 

Here Chello you and Frank need to pay attention!!!! ...View and learn from the Master...

Chuck Norris Vs Bear - YouTube

 

I suppose it is possible that I was hallucinating; I thought I recognized the theme song from "The Little Rascals" and occasionally, I would get a whiff of what smelled like someone burning a skunk. I know that I am not sleeping as much as I should but there is always just so much to do and so few hours to do it in. I cannot imagine a Peruvian making it all the way to rural west Georgia, but stranger things have occurred. One thing to look forward to, dew-berries should be ripening very soon.

 

I hadn't figured on FRank possibly being a silver back!

My goodness, you are dating yourself somewhat Frank....unless The Little Rascals are featuring recently on cable TV....I used to watch reruns of The Little Rascals when I was a child.....and haven't seen hide nor hair of that show until my recent discovery of Youtube!!! Maybe I should be casting Harrison Ford in place of Johnny Dep!!!! : O

The Music Of The Little Rascals - YouTube

 

Mr. Ticious, it is "Mr.".
While I do hunt big game, primarily with a bow, my knowledge primarily comes from my employment by the U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture. The one thing that most people would never think of outfitting their pack with is a thermometer. To ensure your food is cooked properly the rule of thumb is to just cook it to 160 F. Personally I usually go to 165F. If the internal core of that meat temper at the thickest point reaches 160F you are good to go as it eliminates pretty much everything. E.coli 0157:H7, salmonella, listeria, etc. Every pack should have a standard dial gauge thermometer. As they can become uncalibrated you will occasionally want to check it, boil water put in the thermometer and if it doesn't read 212F then turn the head of the stem located on the back of the thermometer until it reads precisely 212F. For calibrating the cold side you can use a mixture of ice and water to calibrate at 32F. I doubt however you will have access to a ice machine in your cave.
Keep the good posts coming and enjoy your time away from civilization. I think we could all use a break like that to remind us what life is all about, not the artificial life we have carved out of society.

 

Frank, I came across this and thought you might have an interest in it:
Sunleaves Sunleaves Jamaican Bat Guano 2.2lb 721015

$6 online

Nothing is better for blooming flowers or ripening fruits than pure, high-phosphorus Sunleaves Jamaican Bat Guano. Jamaican Bat Guano is most effectively used at the root zone to heighten root and flower development. Gardeners can amend their soil with it, use it as a top dressing or create a "guano tea" and apply it directly to plant roots in a fortified water dilution. Eco-friendly harvesting from centuries-old cave deposits.

 

I did not believe that I was hallucinating when last night, I thought I heard the theme from the Little Rascals being played on a pan-flute! I just discovered what I believe to be a marijuana farm on the Southern side of this hill. I watched all morning from concealment, while a long-haired aborigine watered a number of sprouting plants and continued constructing a covering of some type of netting for concealment purposes, I suppose. Apparently the aborigine lives in a trench covered by logs near his farm. He must have cooked a skunk for dinner last night.
I do not wish to disturb him or startle him but maybe this is an opportunity to barter for some much needed supplies? I think I will deliver him a wheel-barrow load of bat guano tonight with a note, sort of a “welcome to the neighborhood” basket? Maybe he can drop by one evening, I am sure my bear steaks smell much more appetizing than his skunk. It will be so nice to have some company visit!

 

Mr. Ticious, if you are going to approach a stranger that is growing, say a less than legal crop, I might suggest a bit of caution there. They typically booby-trap their gardens, maybe punji stakes and some other very nasty deterrents to unwanted visitors. Alpha-dog could probably tell you what you might expect to find, he is a policeman. I would caution that you also not reveal the location of your cave to anyone that hasn't established a level of trust through interaction.
I am also gonna take a stab in the dark here and guess that the "Skunk" you thought he was cooking for dinner may have been the smoke from a strain of marijuana often grown in that region, a mix of cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. It smells strongly of skunk both while growing and while being smoked.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

 

Yes, Mr. Seacowboys, Lewis Carrol; quite an appropriate warning. I have observed the aborigine's path to the stream where he gets water for his young plants. He apparently is a lone farmer, as I have seen no indication of anyone else. If he is armed, it is concealed beneath a baggy pair of shorts, he has no shirt.
I will leave a big pile of bat-poop in the middle of his water path with a note telling him that this is very good fertilizer per your post! I will state that he may leave a response on the hollow cottonwood tree down at the river. It is too big to miss and cannot be observed from anywhere close by without being visible. This is a draft of the note that I will leave:
Dear Mr. Agriculturist,
I am a lawyer that has sought refuge from the collapsed civilization that formerly supported my lifestyle back in Opelika, Alabama. I noticed that you are cultivating cannabis and wanted to bring you a sample of some of the areas best bat-poop to use as fertilizer. Mr. Seacowboys assures me it is excellent for cultivating "Skunk" pot.
I have a renewable supply of this fine product and would like to investigate the possibility of bartering bat-poop for items and supplies that might make my existence more manageable. At the top of my priority lists are the following items:
Go-Jo with lanolin
Bird shot (12 gauge low brass)
cooking pans and utensils
Soap (any type)
spices
hammer
chisels
nails
fishing hooks
aluminum foil
I am sure there are many other items that have trade value to me. I also have a limited quantity of bear meat, turtles, and a partially completed crawfish trap that soon should be providing a steady supply of crustaceans.
Please leave your response inside the hollow cottonwood tree just upriver of your water gathering spot and return to your camp. I will be watching to see that you do not attempt to rob me; I have recent experience with mutant ninja zombies, I have a shotgun, and I do not have much patience left for bandits.
Your Neighbor,
Frank Lee Ticious

 

What did you do with the snake, Frank?

 

He now resides in a deep hole that I dug along the trail to my cave and covered. It is sort of a "deterrent to unwanted visitors"? Just sayin YMMV
I hope you don't mind if I use your salutation, Mr. BTpost?