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Saccharum giganteum
Saccharum giganteum (Walter) Pers.
Sugarcane Plumegrass, Giant Plumegrass
Poaceae (Grass Family)
Synonym(s): Erianthus giganteus, Erianthus giganteus var. compactus, Erianthus laxus, Erianthus saccharoides
USDA Symbol: SAGI
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Giant plume grass is a tall, coarse, erect grass growing 6-10 ft., with a large, fluffy, terminal panicle of reddish-peach seed heads.
A very showy, dramatically tall grass of moist areas, blooming in early fall in full sun.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 10 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Flower: Flowers in 6 to 16 inch plume
Fruit: Peach to silver
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: RedBloom Time: Oct
Bloom Notes: Color ranges from rose to coppery
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VANative Distribution: NY to KY, s. to FL & e. TX; mostly absent from Appalachians
Native Habitat: Moist, open, sandy areas; bogs; swales
Growing Conditions
Water Use: Medium , HighLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Drought Tolerance: Low
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist, sandy soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Clump will get bigger each year unless part of the roots are dug during the dormant period. Does best at the edge of ponds, streams, or water gardens.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Accent. Grows in clumps, bog, or pond area. Combine with moisture-loving, fall-blooming flowers and meadow grasses.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Propagation
Propagation Material: Root Division , SeedsDescription: Propagate by seed or root division while the plant is dormant.
Seed Collection: Collect in late fall when seeds have turned brownish.
Commercially Avail: yes
Find Seed or Plants
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACW | FACW | FACW | FACW | FACW |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Wildflower Center Seed Bank
LBJWC-1131 Collected 2007-02-11 in Liberty County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBibliography
Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. WasowskiBibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
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Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Research Literature
Reslit 2630 - Genetic diversity of North American and Old World Saccharum assessed by RAPD analysis (1997) D. M. Burner, Y. B. Pan, R. D. WebsterReslit 2631 - Assessing genetic diversity in a sugarcane germplasm collection using an automated AFLP analysis (1998) P. Besse, G. Taylor, B. Carroll, N. Berding, D. Bu...
Reslit 2632 - An assessment of the phylogenetic relationship among sugarcane and related taxa based on the nucleotide sequence of 5S rRNA intergenic spacers (2000) Y. B. Pan, D. M. Burner, B. L. Legendre
Reslit 2633 - Sugarcane microsatellites for the assessment of genetic diversity in sugarcane germplasm (2003) G. M. Cordeiro, Y. B. Pan, R. J. Henry
Reslit 2634 - Cytological studies on North American species of Saccharum (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) (1994) D. M. Burner, R. D. Webster
Reslit 2635 - Taxonomy of the native North American species of Saccharum (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) (1995) R. D. Webster, R. B. Shaw
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources
USDA: Find Saccharum giganteum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Saccharum giganteum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Saccharum giganteum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-21Research By: TWC Staff