As did I, and no it did not! We did get catkins in year two... not many, but a few tiny cute ones!
Mini cattails
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Now are you all talking about the dwarf cattails (Typha Minima), that make chubby little catkins and usually don't get more than 18" tall or the graceful cattails (Typha Laxmannii) that have more normal shaped catkins and just look like regular cattails scaled down to about 2-3 foot tall?
I'm just curious what folks are growing successfully. I have the graceful cattails, but unfortunately a dog we were taking care of for a friend decided to go digging in my bog and really messed up the cattails. Fortunately 2 are sprouting up and seem to have survived, but I guess they won't be sending up catkins this year... I was thinking of adding the true dwarf ones as well.
I'm just curious what folks are growing successfully. I have the graceful cattails, but unfortunately a dog we were taking care of for a friend decided to go digging in my bog and really messed up the cattails. Fortunately 2 are sprouting up and seem to have survived, but I guess they won't be sending up catkins this year... I was thinking of adding the true dwarf ones as well.
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Here is a pic of mine. I think they were called dwarf cattails, but didn't know there was a difference with "mini" cattails. The leaf is more round than it is flat (that flat leaf in the bottom right of the pic is an iris). I think regular cattails have more of a flat leaf like Adavisus' pic, and so these maybe are "mini's", right? They are about 18-24" tall. I bought this pot last year with the catkins on them already, so assume they will "bloom" again this year. Kinda looks like mini corn dog nuggets. LOL
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From that picture I would say mine are Dwarfs too, I will have to wait to see what mine look like this year. I also did not realize there was a difference, I just know they are smaller then the big cattails I have 
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I bought some originally, I'm CERTAIN it said dwarf variegated cattails. They were variegated (green/white) and very pretty, but they were pretty tall, at least 4'. I got rid of most of what was left over this spring, got tired of them taking over too much of the bog area. There are still a few that I didn't get pulled. I love the mini's, they are more like a reed, round leaves, and stay small, like I wanted them to. I will move some groups of them to the bogs after this year, assuming they bloom nicely.
I have both - the mini variety in the bog and the dwarf variety in the pond. Both spread like mad!
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I loved even my taller green/white ones. They got catkins every year, and I loved sharing them with others. Just got tired of them, so whatever made it past my mass pulling a few weeks ago is all I will have in that bog for now. Love the mini's though. They look like reeds, which are such a "clean" looking plant for the bogs. Then, to get the cute little chubby catkins on them in the summer ... priceless.
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Thanks for sharing the photos and background. I have the graceful, but now I may need to add those mini ones as well. I'm pretty sure it was the corn dog description that got me.
Ha Ha ... corn dog. I was looking at that pic trying to figure out why I all of a sudden got hungry ...
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Hi.. I'm a new pond guy and really like the forum.. It's our first year with the pond and thought I'd add the dwarf cattails around a driftwood stump we added to the stream to look more natural.. I have same issue with no cattails, so I guess I'll have to wait a few years...
Mmathis
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@Jetz1138 I LOVE your avatar! Why not go over to our introductions topic and tell us about yourself and your pond, which is lovely, BTW!
sissy
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my cattails bloomed this year also
Mmathis
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I planted some mini's summer before last. Not a lot of plant growth, but this year it did have 1 catkin! In the pic, there is a horsetail rush (I think) that grew in with the cat tail, so it's kinda hard to tell that it's 2 separate plants. I was so amazed at having it -- at first I thought it was an insect nest!
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OK, I just noticed this thread, and have to add more info about my "cute" little cattails! What started out as "minis", according to the tags, to only get to be about 24" tall, have turned into 4' tall at least, but I do have cattails this year again! If anyone would be interested in having some, I can take a picture tomorrow (although right now I'm not able to upload the pictures, because my card reader went kaput, and my camera fell while plugged in, so think the cord connection got messed up ) to show you how tall they are. It's going to be a HUGE chore to pull them out of the waterfall pool, but they need to go. I would have huge clumps (cut back for shipping) for quite a few people, if anyone is interested. I would only ask for postage, and will mail them the cheapest way priority mail, probably $6-10 I'd guess. I've shipped other pond plants in the past, and had great luck.
Let me know either on this post, or private message me if you might be interested. This will get me to get that job done this weekend, maybe!
) to show you how tall they are. It's going to be a HUGE chore to pull them out of the waterfall pool, but they need to go. I would have huge clumps (cut back for shipping) for quite a few people, if anyone is interested. I would only ask for postage, and will mail them the cheapest way priority mail, probably $6-10 I'd guess. I've shipped other pond plants in the past, and had great luck. Let me know either on this post, or private message me if you might be interested. This will get me to get that job done this weekend, maybe!