Q: I have a plant that looks like a cattail, but it has a plume
on top instead of a catkin. What is it? Mike – Cottonwood, AZ A:
It sounds like you’ve got phragmites. Also known as “common
reed,” certain invasive varieties of this plant have taken root
on the East Coast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest – and,
apparently, in your pond! To identify the species of phragmite
in your pond, check out Cornell University’s “Morphological
Differences” website here. Generally speaking, phragmite is a
perennial wetland grass that can grow to 6 to 15 feet in height.
Its stems, which are erect, smooth and hollow, measure nearly 1
inch in diameter and are topped with 12-inch-long dense
panicles, or purple-brown pyramid-shaped plumes of flowers, that
emerge between July and September. The leaves that arise from
the stem are 10 to 20 inches long and up to 2 inches wide. The
plants propagate mainly via an extensive network of underground
rhizomes, or horizontal stems, that produce roots and shoots
that grow as deep as 39 inches