Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Typha angustifolia
Narrow Leaved Cattail
Typha angustifolia, the Narrow Leaved Cattail or Lesser Bulrush, sends very long, narrow, upright blue-green blades out of shallow water and carries the familiar brown cylindrical flower spike above them in summer, with a short gap of bare stem separating the male and female sections.
It is a workhorse of reedbed treatment systems, where its nutrient uptake is the point, and it doubles as a dense screen at the water's edge on lakes and detention basins.
Specifications
- Height1.5 to 3 metres
- Width0.5 to 1 metre per clump, spreading indefinitely by rhizome
- Native toTemperate and subtropical Europe, Asia, Africa and North America
- FoliageVery long, narrow, upright blue-green strap leaves; herbaceous, dying back in a cold winter
- Growth rateFast
Conditions
- SoilGrows in pond mud and saturated soils, in water to about 0.5 metres deep; tolerates brackish conditions
- LightFull sun
- WaterGrown permanently in shallow standing water or saturated soil
- ClimateThrives in temperate to subtropical regions; frost hardy and reshoots from the rhizome
Additional Features
- FlowersThe familiar brown cylindrical spike in summer, with male and female sections separated by a short bare gap
- UsesIdeal for lake and detention basin margins, constructed wetlands and wastewater treatment, bank stabilisation and screening at the water's edge
- SpacingPlant 0.6 to 1 metre apart, in a contained planter or basket to control the spread
- Low MaintenanceCut spent stems back in late winter and thin the clump to keep it within its allocated area
- Pest ResistanceGenerally resilient
- Environmental BenefitsVery high nutrient uptake, and a mainstay species of reedbed treatment systems
- Salt ToleranceTolerates brackish water better than most marginal aquatics
- Wildlife AttractionDense stands shelter waterbirds, amphibians and aquatic insects
Narrow Leaved Cattail is a treatment plant that happens to look right at a lake edge, provided its spread is contained.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 09 September 2026