Giant Reed
Arundo donax
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Guam, Gulf States, Hainan, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Ogasawara-shoto, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Sinai, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
Forest and Kim Starr
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Arundo
- Species:
- Arundo donax
- USDA Symbol:
- ARDO4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid , Shrub , Subshrub
- Height:
- 600 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- white, cream
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Gabara subnivosella
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- nesting habitat for birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes after fire. Dead canes create significant fuel loads that increase fire intensity and frequency.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, fertile, well-drained loam
- pH:
- 6.0 - 8.5 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found in riparian zones and wetlands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Primarily spreads vegetatively via rhizomes. Seeds are rarely viable in most invasive populations.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI