Landscape Alternatives
Similar to Arundo donax L.
These native plants are suitable substitutes for Arundo donax in the landscape.
River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea) is a very tall (15 feet or more), bamboo grass that grows in moist to wet areas tolerating both flooding and drought.
Sugarcane Plumegrass (Saccharum giganteum) and Silver Plumegrass (Saccharum alopecuroidum) have showy pink to silvery flower/seed plumes reaching 7-9 feet tall. S. giganteum prefers moist to wet locations, and S. alopecuroidum likes drier sites.
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grows 4 to 8 feet tall and has great fall color.
Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is 4 to 7 feet tall with golden clusters of flowers/seeds in fall.