Recently, my husband John and I have been doing some work on our water garden area. Our backyard houses a pond and a bog, which are connected by a small stream. Ten years ago, when the pond was dug, we thought it would be a wonderful idea to plant some cattails. What we did not know at the time was that while cattails are interesting and provide sanctuary for fish, they can prove to be quite invasive. So, after 10 years, we are faced with the task of having to replace the pond and plant a new smaller variety of cattails (dwarf variety).
In keeping with the summer theme of "biblical flowers," I thought I'd include cattails this week in this column. Known as "reeds‟ they are mentioned much in the Bible -- “...its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds {cattails} and rushes will rot away” (Isaiah 19:6).
Cattails are found along highways, in marshes and bogs, and spread by way of rhizomes (like roots) beneath the muddy surface. "Flowers‟ develop beneath leafy sheaths, which eventually peel off in spring, revealing the brown part most of us are used to seeing. It is this brown part which contains many seeds, and give the plant its interesting shape. Dwarf cattails can be an interesting addition to a biblical water garden!
