Arundinaria gigantea - Wild cane
Family Poaceae

Description:

 

This is a large genus of over 100 species found in Asia and North America. Wild cane is a type of bamboo native to north Florida and the eastern United States. As a group, bamboos are important sources of food (bamboo shoots) and building materials. Wild cane is found in moist sites, in the open or along a woodland edge. The tall subspecies can grow to over twenty feet tall. It is a stoloniferous plant that spreads rapidly in a suitable environment. Like other bamboos, a colony may die after flowering. Where the stems grow large, they are harvested for use as poles and have been used commercially in the manufacture of fishing poles. Reports of uses by native Americans includes the manufacture of homes, rafts, bows and arrows, blow guns, spears, flutes, woven items like mats and baskets, the seeds ground as flour, and treatments for a variety of ailments.

 

Location:

See plants along the nature trails by Lake Oneida.

Size:

A woody grass that grows from five to twenty feet tall.

Care Instructions:

Light: full sun to part shade

Water: not drought tolerant, a moist or irrigated site is necessary

Soil: poorly drained soil

 

The local form is the smaller subspecies, typically reaching about five to six feet tall. This native plant grows well in a wet, sunny to partly shaded site. It is best suited for a naturalistic garden.