Cattails are one of the most abundant and overlooked wild foods in North America— providing nutrient-dense food all year long. But why aren’t more people taking advantage of this superabundant plant? In this episode, expert forager Clay Bowers breaks down everything you need to know about identifying, harvesting, and preparing cattails, plus tips for avoiding toxic lookalikes. If you’re interested in wild food, survival skills, or adding a reliable staple to your foraging toolkit, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How to identify common cattail species and avoid lookalikes
The best parts of cattails to forage in every season—and how to harvest them
How to collect cattail pollen as a high-protein flour alternative
The nutritional value and culinary potential of cattails
Cattails’ role in wetland ecosystems and how they benefit the environment
Primitive survival uses of cattails beyond food, from basket weaving to shelter building

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Cattail Foraging: This Wild Plant Provides Food Year-Round