Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia
Southern Africa
Types
Saccharum officinarum
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
364
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Wet lands
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acicular
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
High
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water Deeply
Average Water Needs
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead branches, Remove Ferns
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K, fertilize in growing season
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Fusarium root rot, Head smut
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
Allergy
Diabetes, Sleepiness
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Appetite enhancer, Diuretic, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nutrients
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves, Stem
Fruits
Other Uses
Animal Feed, Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Sometimes used for making wine
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Feature Plant, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
SACCHARUM officinarum
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Sugarcane
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
गन्ना
नेटाल बेर
In German
Saccharum
Natal Plum
In French
Canne à sucre
natal Plum
In Spanish
Saccharum
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
Saccharum
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Cana-de-açúcar
Natal Plum
In Polish
Saccharum
Natal Plum
In Latin
Saccharum
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Gentianales
Family
Poaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Saccharum
Carissa
Clade
Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
Carisseae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
3620
1
27800
👆🏻