Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment cattails, are they of any use to fish?

Cattails do have good benefits. They are best utilized in a pond when controlled. They can spread quickly, they grow too tall (7-9ft) and one cannot see nor fish over them. They produce too much fodder to die and sink and contribute volumes to organics. I have seen them grow to 6 ft deep. If you cut them off underwater in fall the roots will drown. Roots need the stems above water to get atmospheric air during the winter dormant / ice period. There are also some good herbicides that can be used to reduce cattail patch size.

There are better, IMO much better shoreline plants than cattails. Species such as Native aquatic iris (blue flag, yellow iris spreads too fast), sweet flag, lizzard tail, the several species of spike rushes and the reeds of Juncus and Scirpus. Juncus (rushes) and Scripus (bulrushes) do not grow densely together and underwater stems allow small fish to swim freely among the stems. There are some taller forms (2-3ft) of spike rush (Eleocharis) that do not get as tall as the reeds and bulrushes. These aforementioned marginals do not grow as tall as cattails, do not spread as fast, nor do they produce as much fodder and are IMO much better small fish habitat. Although left uncontrolled or not managed they will spread as almost all plants do when unmanaged. Try removing some of the cattails and replant with some of the suggested species - purchased or collected from wild habitats.