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Arundinaria gigantea is often confused with:
Arundinaria tecta Form
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Andropogon glomeratus Andropogon glomeratus
Cornus amomum Cornus amomum
Viola macloskeyi Viola macloskeyi

Arundinaria gigantea

Phonetic Spelling
ar-run-din-NAY-ree-a jy-GAN-tee-uh
Description

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 an extreme 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.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#cover plant#riparian#ornamental grass#seeds#stream banks#fire extreme flammability#NC native#skipper butterflies#native garden#pollinator plant#native ornamental grass#larval host plant#food source summer#food source herbage#Coastal FACW#Piedmont Mountains FACW#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#butterfly friendly#Audubon#southern pearly-eye butterfly#creole pearly-eye butterfly#wildlife friendly
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#cover plant#riparian#ornamental grass#seeds#stream banks#fire extreme flammability#NC native#skipper butterflies#native garden#pollinator plant#native ornamental grass#larval host plant#food source summer#food source herbage#Coastal FACW#Piedmont Mountains FACW#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#butterfly friendly#Audubon#southern pearly-eye butterfly#creole pearly-eye butterfly#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Arundinaria
    Species:
    gigantea
    Family:
    Poaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Canes are used for basketry, fishing poles, musical instruments, and home construction.
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    E. Central & SE. U.S.A.
    Distribution:
    AL , AR , FL , GA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , OH , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
    Fire Risk Rating:
    extreme flammability
    Wildlife Value:
    Provides excellent cover year-round. Seeds are eaten by songbirds and small mammals. This is a larval host plant for the Southern Pearly-Eye (Enodia portlandia) which has three broods from March-October, Creole Pearly-Eye (Lethe creola) which has three broods in the south from April-September, and various Skipper larvae.
    Play Value:
    Wildlife Food Source
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    High deer resistance
    Edibility:
    Young shoots can be cooked and eaten
    Dimensions:
    Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    12-24 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Caryopsis
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Insignificant
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Panicle
    Raceme
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Description:
    Inconspicuous and rare. They bloom from April to July.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Type:
    Sheath
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Lanceolate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Alternate leaves have mostly entire margins but can have minute teeth and a few hairs on the undersides. They are narrowly lanceolate and can grow 5-12 inches long and 3/4- 1.5 inches wide. Sheaths present with bristly hairs at the apices.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Cross Section:
    Round
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Branching green hollow round smooth canes up to 1 inch in diameter. Become woody with age.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Riparian
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rain Garden
    Design Feature:
    Barrier
    Mass Planting
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Songbirds