Cattails

cattails

One of my favorite botanical features of Metropolitan Golf Links is the abundance of the humble typha species, known commonly as "cattails." I took the photo on the right from the vantage point of the #5 cart path looking over to the #6 fairway. You can find these wetland-loving cattails all over the world: in North America, Central America, Great Britain, Eurasia, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. Here at Metro, they're just for looking at (you wouldnt' want to hit a ball from them) but they've been used for many things elsewhere. Parts of the plant are edible. Leaves and stems have been used to make bedding, thatching and matting, and to make baskets, boats, rafts, shoes, ropes and paper. Who knew?