This is a nearly cosmopolitan species of stagnant pond margins and marshes. It is sometimes regarded as an undesirable weedy species that harbors mosquitoes, especially the "cattail mosquito" (Coquillettidia perturbans). It is known that roots of Typha do form good substrates for larvae of this insect, which may derive oxygen from aerenchyma in the plants and also escape predation. But other other emergent aquatic plants may be just as suitable where cattails are lacking (Morris et al. 1990, Sérandour et al. 2010). Parts of Typha plants are generally palatable and nutritious for herbivorous mammals; there has been much human use of rhizomes, fresh shoot bases, and pollen. Shoots often have a slightly spicy taste, perhaps due to flavonoids that are documented in Typhaceae. Alkaloids have also been reported but need verification (Shukla et al. 2015; see also APG).