Cattails are tall, erect plants that may grow to 6 to 8 feet tall. They usually grow along the shoreline but may grow in water 3 to 4 feet deep. The leaves are ribbon-like, flat, and about 1 inch wide. Flowers are in a dense, cylinder-shaped spike that often resembles a cigar. Flowers are on stalks that are usually taller than the leaves. They are spread by creeping root stalks and seeds. Many different species of cattail occur commonly in wet soil, marshes, swamps, and shallow waters throughout the United States in fresh and brackish waters.