Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
-
Saccharum officinarum
Number of Varieties
336
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
agricultural areas, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12 - 9
Sunset Zone
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
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches, Remove Ferns
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Equal amount of N,P,K, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Beetles, Fusarium root rot, Head smut
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaf Stalks, Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
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
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Feature Plant, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
SACCHARUM officinarum
Common Name
River Birch
Sugarcane
In Hindi
River Birch
गन्ना
In German
Fluss Birch
Saccharum
In French
Birch river
Canne à sucre
In Spanish
river Birch
Saccharum
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Saccharum
In Portuguese
river Birch
Cana-de-açúcar
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Saccharum
In Latin
Betula
Saccharum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Cyperales
Family
Betulaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Betula
Saccharum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
336
1
27800
👆🏻