Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Grass
  
Grass
  
Origin
Middle Africa
  
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
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
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
  
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Non Fruiting Plant
  
Not Available
  
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
No
  
No
  
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
No
  
No
  
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
No
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Fine
  
Coarse
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Matte
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
Yes
  
Yes
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
  
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
  
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
  
Diabetes, Sleepiness
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
No Beauty Benefits
  
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
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
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 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
Not Available
  
Importance of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Grass and Sugarcane. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Grass and Sugarcane as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Elephant Grass is Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders and Wounds whereas of Sugarcane is Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain and Nutrients. Elephant Grass has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits while Sugarcane has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits.
Compare Facts of Elephant Grass vs Sugarcane
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Elephant Grass vs Sugarcane and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Elephant Grass are Asthma and breathing problems whereas of Sugarcane have Diabetes and Sleepiness respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Grass has no showy fruits and Sugarcane has showy fruits. Also Elephant Grass is not flowering and Sugarcane is not flowering . You can compare Elephant Grass and Sugarcane facts and facts of other plants too.