Canebrake Bamboo

Arundinaria gigantea (ar-run-din-NAY-ree-a jy-GAN-tee-uh)

Family: Poaceae Native Understory (15-40 ft)

Giant cane is a native bamboo in the Poaceae (grass) family found on floodplains of medium to low-energy rivers and streams in the central and southeastern U.S.A. While it may grow up to 25 feet tall it is usually between 8 and 20 feet. It is an adaptable plant and can be found in the coastal lowland to the mountains up to 2,000 feet. Plant in full sun to deep shade though it does best in partial to full sun in rich, loamy, well-drained soils. It can tolerate brief periods of inundation, but will not thrive in wet areas. Use this plant along streams or ponds in well-drained moist sites to stabilize banks and naturalize a wildlife area. Giant cane has tall thin green stems and vigorous rhizomes that grow quickly into dense clumps. The leaves are alternative with mostly entire margins and a few hairs on the undersides. Flowers are inconspicuous and rare but appear in the spring and flowering stems die back when the seeds mature in the summer. The green culms are hollow with internodes and mature to brown. This native bamboo can form a dense patch of monoculture called a canebrake providing cover and food for dozens of species of mammals and invertebrates. This includes a number of butterflies and moths requiring rivercane earning them status as "canebrake specialists." The native bamboos have been over-grazed by cattle and uprooted by swine, thus decreasing their populations along with loss of habitat. Fire Risk: This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems though Rust and leafspots may occur.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 53 attributes.