The care secret that transformed my Cattail

I'd had Cattail for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to removing dying foliage in autumn before it rots and reduces water quality and the difference over the next two months was dramatic.

extraordinary flower forms rising above or floating on the water became much more pronounced. The plant in a natural wildlife pond with naturalistic marginal planting now looks like a completely different specimen. foliage die-back and pond tidying in autumn confirmed that I'd finally unlocked what this plant can do. root-eating by water lily aphids or china mark moth has been less of a problem since I got the overall conditions right. If your Cattail is underwhelming, look at removing dying foliage in autumn before it rots and reduces water quality first.