Saccharum giganteum
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Sugarcane Plumegrass
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Grass | |
| Size: | 2-4 (10) ft tall by 1-3 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Short-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White | |
| Fruit Color: | Brown | |
| Phenology: | Winter dormant | |
| Noted for: | Showy flowers, Showy fruits |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant or background plant in moist informal garden. This is a mid-sized bunching grass until the flower stalk shoots up in the fall. Then it sports a tall silvery plume that gradually turns to light brown. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | The flower stalks need to be removed once no longer showy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Organic material (muck), Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Acidic to neutral | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Birds will eat the seeds. Provides cover. | |
| Insects: | Host plant for the Clouded Skipper butterfly (Lerema accius) | |
| Native Habitats: | Flatwoods, marshes, coastal swales, cypress ponds, lake shores, cutthroat seep. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures