| Sugarcane plumegrass
|
| Saccharum giganteum
|
| Poaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
| Availability: |
|
Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. |
| Description: |
| |
Large herbaceous grass. |
| Height: |
| |
Typically 3-6 feet in height; to 10 feet when in flower. Usually taller than broad. |
| Growth Rate: |
| |
Moderate. |
| Range: |
| |
Eastern United States west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties; Cuba. |
| Habitats: |
| |
Marshes and marl prairies. |
| Soils: |
| |
Wet to moist, poorly drained to moderately well-drained sandy or calcareous soils, with or without humus. |
| Nutritional Requirements: |
| |
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
| Salt Water Tolerance: |
| |
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
| Salt Wind Tolerance: |
| |
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
| |
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
| Light Requirements: |
| |
Full sun. |
| Flower Color: |
| |
Brownish inflorescence. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
| |
Semi-showy inflorescence. |
| Flowering Season: |
| |
Fall. |
| Fruit: |
| |
Inconspicuous caryopsis. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
| |
Larval host plant for clouded skipper (Lerema accius) butterflies.
|
| Horticultural Notes: |
| |
|
| Comments: |
| |
See also a 2022 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog about the genetics and pollination of Saccharum giganteum. |
|
|
|
|