Got Cat-Tails?

I think that many people living in Orange County today have the wrong idea about tribal people. They believe that tribal people were starving, naked, and homeless.
Nothing could be further from the truth. For thousands of years, nature provided the tribes in Orange County with everything they needed to survive.

Check out this funny looking plant, the Cat-Tail. This tall, reedy plant provided tribes All OVER THE UNITED STATES with food, shelter, clothing, and medicine. Hard to believe? Let's take a closer look.

Most of the Cat-Tail plant is edible. When the green shoots first start growing out of the mud or sand, they can be eaten raw or cooked. Next, you can eat the stems. I have harvested and eaten Cat-Tail stems. It's fun and easy. Cat-Tails grow in fresh water. (This helps humans find water that is not too salty.) You can pull the new stalks slowly out of the soil. Rinse, cut, and eat! It tastes like celery.
The pollen of the Cat-Tail can be used like flour. Before the "flower" looks like a corn dog, it is green. These green pieces can be snapped off and roasted and eaten. The roots can be dug up, washed, boiled, and mashed. This root paste can be used like a French "roux" (roo) for thickening soups and sauces.

The reeds or leaves of the Cat-Tail plant can be used to make many, many products. The long, stringy fibers can be twisted into string or twine. The leaves can be woven and made into floor mats and clothing. Double layers of woven leaves were placed over branches to make shelters called wikiups (wik-ee-ups). Baskets, bags,
and belts can be made from Cat-Tail leaves.

Look at the second picture. Do you see how the "corn dog" is starting to fall apart? The Cat-Tail "flower" is made of fluffy stuff that is tightly squished together. Over time, the fluff starts to become loose. This fluff was used for mattresses, pillows, clothing insulation, ...and even diapers!

Different parts of the Cat-Tail plant can be used for medicine.

What an amazing gift from nature is the Cat-Tail plant. What would you make if you had these plants in your back yard? Clothing, a house, medicine, food?

Did you find this useful? If so, you can send a "tip" to my PAYPAL.COM account. My email address is kathomatho@yahoo.com. I will donate 10% of your tip to The Orange County Zoo.