Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Middle Africa
Types
Saccharum officinarum
Perennial Grass
Number of Varieties
3615
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Wet lands
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
High
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water Deeply
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
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
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches, Remove Ferns
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K, fertilize in growing season
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Fusarium root rot, Head smut
Insects, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
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
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Birds, Flying insects
Allergy
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Asthma, breathing problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nutrients
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves, Stem
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Animal Feed, Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Sometimes used for making wine
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Feature Plant, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
SACCHARUM officinarum
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Common Name
Sugarcane
Elephant Grass
In Hindi
गन्ना
हाथी घास
In German
Saccharum
Elefantengras
In French
Canne à sucre
l'herbe à éléphant
In Spanish
Saccharum
pasto elefante
In Greek
Saccharum
ελέφαντα χόρτο
In Portuguese
Cana-de-açúcar
capim-elefante
In Polish
Saccharum
trawa słoniowa
In Latin
Saccharum
elephanti herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Saccharum
Pennisetum
Clade
Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
361
1
27800
👆🏻