CATTAILS

Cattails are tall erect perennials with jointless stems up to 7 feet tall. The leaves are flat, sheathing, green up to 5 feet long and 1 inch wide. Reproduction is by rhizome (root) growth and by seeds from the 6-8” long cylindrical terminal spike. They are commonly found in shallow areas of lakes and ponds, marshes, bays, ditches and rivers. They can become a problem in any area as they can rapidly dominate the area and greatly impede water flow. Cattails are not used much by wildlife as a food source although dense stands do offer value for roosting and for protectional cover. The best method of control is by spraying them with Rodeo, Aquapro or Shore-Klear (links to all three). The main ingredient of each is aquatically-labeled glyphosate, a very safe yet effective material. We recommend using Cide-Kick with the spray mix to allow better coverage and penetration of the cattail plants. Since dead brown cattails are very fibrous and take months to decompose, you might want to consider physically removing the dead plants after they have been sprayed. Our Water Weed Cutter III or Aquatic Weed Eradicator are perfect for this job.