October 2023 • Nebraskaland 53
improving our techniques and some of the approaches (e.g.,
grazing) may end up paying for themselves.
While the challenge is great, the cost of doing nothing may
be catastrophic. Nebraska has some of the most incredible
wetlands on the continent, and they provide tremendous
benefi ts, both to wildlife and people. Saving them from a
devastating invasion seems well worthwhile.
N
Chris Helzer is the Nature Conservancy's director of science
in Nebraska.
Knowing Which
Cattails are Native
and Which are
Invasive
ARTWORK,
TIM
REIGERT,
NEBRASKALAND
Distinguishing native broad-leaved cattails from
invasive cattails can be difficult, but the best clue
can be found on the flowering stem. All cattail
flower spikes have a section of female flowers,
which resembles a hot dog, and a section of male
flowers above that. The male flowers drop off after
their pollen has been released, leaving what looks
like a rough or wrinkled section of stem.
The native broad-leaved cattails have no gap
between their female and male flower spikes.
Narrow-leaved and hybrid cattails, both of which
are invasive, have a gap of
1
⁄2 inch to 4 inches
between the bottom (female) and top (male) flower
spikes. Unfortunately, cattails — especially hybrid
cattails — don't always make flowers, so the best
identification characteristic might not be present.
If you're facing a large, dense colony of cattails that
has spread over time, working to suppress that
colony is probably a good idea.
Native
Broad-leaved Cattail
Invasive
Narrow-leaved Cattail
Male fl ower
with pollen
Male fl ower
after pollen
drop
Smooth
stem
between
fl owers on
narrowleaf
cattails
Female
fl ower
