Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Perennial Grass
Saccharum officinarum
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
agricultural areas, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-11
10-15
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12 - 9
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Green
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Acicular
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
High
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches, Remove Ferns
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Equal amount of N,P,K, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Beetles, Fusarium root rot, Head smut
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Beauty Benefits
-
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaf Stalks, Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Animal Feed, Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Feature Plant, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
SACCHARUM officinarum
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Sugarcane
In German
Elefantengras
Saccharum
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Canne à sucre
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Saccharum
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Saccharum
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Cana-de-açúcar
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Saccharum
In Latin
elephanti herba
Saccharum
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Genus
Pennisetum
Saccharum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Season and Care of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane
Season and care of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane is important to know. While considering everything about Elephant Grass and Sugarcane Care, growing season is an essential factor. Elephant Grass season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Sugarcane season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Elephant Grass is Clay, Loam, Sand and for Sugarcane is Clay, Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Elephant Grass is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Sugarcane is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline.
Elephant Grass and Sugarcane Physical Information
Elephant Grass and Sugarcane physical information is very important for comparison. Elephant Grass height is 120.00 cm and width 120.00 cm whereas Sugarcane height is 30.00 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane are as follows:
Elephant Grass flower color: Sandy Brown
Elephant Grass leaf color: Purple
Sugarcane flower color: White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
- Sugarcane leaf color: Green
Care of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane
Care of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Elephant Grass pruning is done Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts and Sugarcane pruning is done Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches and Remove Ferns. In summer Elephant Grass needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Sugarcane needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.