Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Middle Africa
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Perennial Grass
Saccharum officinarum
Number of Varieties
1536
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
agricultural areas, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
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
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
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 Plants
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
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
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Plant Benefits
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
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 Hindi
हाथी घास
गन्ना
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
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Saccharum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
136
1
27800
👆🏻