Cattails

Behind our house is a little creek that empties into the lake. It is filled with cattails.
The girls began to pick them yesterday and they realized that they could strip the cattail off the stem.
And I learned something new! It turns to fluff!! Like cotton batting! I told the girls, "Just think! When God created plants He had this in mind! What a variety of plants we have!" Sophia said "And He just spoke it and it happened!" Yes! What a great Creator we have!
Thousands and thousands of seeds!! Better than a dandelion!
I love this photo. Look at Jill. She is appalled at all the seeds stuck to her black coat!
We may have cattails growing on our lawn in the spring! Of course we would need moisture for that to happen and we are in a drought right now.


I found out that you can EAT cattails!! If you peel the shoot, you can use the cane part to eat! I read that they're like a combination of tender zucchini and cucumbers, adding a refreshing texture and flavor to salads. Added to soup towards the end of cooking, they retain a refreshing crunchiness. They're superb in stir-fry dishes, more than suitable for sandwiches, and excellent in virtually any context. Sliced cattail hearts, sauteed in sesame oil with wild carrots and ginger are good I guess.

The Indians used cattails medicinally: They applied the jelly from between the young leaves to wounds, sores, boils, carbuncles, external inflammations, and boils, to soothe pain.

Besides its medicinal uses, the dried leaves were also twisted into dolls and toy animals for children, much like corn-husk dolls found today. Cattail leaves can be used to thatch roofs, weave beautiful baskets, as seating for the backs of chairs, and to make mats. Archaeologists have excavated cattail mats from Nevada caves.

No longer edible once the pollen is gone, the brown flower heads make good "punks," supporting a slowly-burning flame, with a smoke that drives insects away. The fluffy, white seeds were once used for stuffing blankets, pillows and toys. The Indians put them inside moccasins and around cradles, for additional warmth.

Very interesting. Perhaps I should harvest them to make pillows. But I read that if you do that, you must use thick batting material or you might break out in hives.

Actually, I think I am chicken. I can't see myself trying it in cooking anytime soon. Or making anything out of it. Hannah would probably enjoy doing that though. She loves cooking shows and she loves crafts. But I will probably just enjoy them for their prettiness.