Cattails - Friend or Foe?  Small stands of cattails can be desirable – they offer habitat and shelter to birds, fish, insects and aquatic invertebrates. They can also slow and filter incoming water, trapping sediment and sequestering nutrients. However, invasive and hybrid cattails tend to spread and encroach along the pond edges, limiting access to the water and outcompeting more desirable plants, which means control is necessary to manage their growth.

When is intervention necessary?  Our biologists suggest managing cattail growth before it becomes too widespread and problematic. Not only do dense cattail stands limit recreation, but they may also negatively impact the function of retention and detention basins, resulting in flooding after rain events.

What solutions are available?  Our professional Cattail Management Program offers two components: Herbicidal Control & Cattail Removal. Prior to removal, cattails are treated with a systemic herbicide to kill the extensive root system and reduce the likelihood of regrowth. Once the existing plant growth has been killed, our biologists recommend removal of dead cattails to reduce organic material and improve aesthetics.