Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
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Sugar Cane

Saccharum officinarum (SAK-er-rum oh-fi-SIN-ar-um)

Family: Poaceae Unknown

Saccharum officinarum produces the highest number of calories per sq. ft. of growing area of any plant in the world and is the source of 70% of the sugar in the world. The sugar is extracted from the stems Sugar cane probably originated in New Guinea, and was brought to the Americas in 1493 by the explorer Christopher Columbus. It is now grown in more than 70 countries, mostly in the tropics. Approximately half of the world's cane sugar is grown in India and Brazil.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 18 attributes.

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Erianthus giganteus
Native alternatives Erianthus giganteus

Full plant profile

Form & Appearance
Hairs present
No
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
New Guinea
Wildlife value
This is a larval host plant that supports various skipper larvae and Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) which have one brood from late May to October. Adult Common Wood-Nymph butterflies feed on rotting fruit and flower nectar.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Stems

Edibility

Stem

Uses (ethnobotany)

Sugar

Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#larval host plant #common wood-nymph butterfly #butterfly friendly #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly #skipper butterflies #fiber plant #edible

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.