Cat-tail – Typha latifolia Share this:Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Designed with love! Our Grower's Choice Subscription freshly picked and delivered to your door every month. Shop Now Common Name: Cat-tail, Bullrush Botanical Name: Typha latifolia, TY-fa lat-i-FOL-ee-a Decorative Life: Many days, weeks, months to years, depending on use. Flower Color: Brown Availability: Fall, Winter Tidbits: In the flower spike, the male flowers are grouped above the female flowers in “zones”. The specific epithet name “latifolia” means broad-leafed. Only one genus in this primitive plant family. Named used by Theophrastus for these and other swamp-like or aquatic plants.