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Products > Typha angustifolia
 
Typha angustifolia - Lesser Cattail

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Typha angustifolia
[2nd Image]
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Grass-like
Family: Typhaceae (Cattails)
Origin: Northern Hemisphere
California Native (Plant List): Yes
Flower Color: Brown
Bloomtime: Summer/Fall
Height: 4-6 feet
Width: Spreading
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Seaside: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Aquatic
Winter Hardiness: <15° F
Typha angustifolia (Aquatic) (Lesser Cattail) - Lesser Cattail is an erect, rhizomatous perennial that grows 3 to 6 feet tall with leaves that are very narrow, and flattened. Flowers grow on erect stalks, and the fruits are cigar-shaped and 2 to 6 inches long. Fruits contain soft, downy seeds. In this species, the staminate and pistillate flowers are separated by a gap of up to 2 inches of stalk, females appear below the males. Leaves emerge in the spring, flowering is initiated in early to mid-summer, and the greatest clonal growth occurs in the fall. Spreads by lateral rhizomes produced at the leaf base. Under good conditions, seeds germinate from May to September. Plant in full sun or part shade in marshy soil or under water up to 3 feet deep. The Lesser cattail occurs from Nova Scotia south through parts of New England along the coast to southern Florida. It occurs in the Midwest and is found in scattered populations throughout Nebraska and Wyoming, parts of the Intermountain West, and along the Pacific Northwest coast into central California. Also known as the narrow-leaved cattail. Commonly crosses with Typha latifolia in the wild and gives rise to the hybrid Typha x glauca. Cold hardy to less than 15° F. 

Information displayed on this page about Typha angustifolia is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
San Marcos Growers closed for regular business at the end of 2025 as the property is being developed for affordable housing.
While our gates remain closed, we will open them by appointment so we can liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. The plants remaining in the field are listed on our Live Inventory Page.
 
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