Native & adapted

Sugarcane

Saccharum officinarum

Also known as Sugar cane · Cane · Caña de azúcar

A tall, clumping grass that makes a quick summer screen and fresh cane to chew or juice. It handles full Phoenix sun and is useful for shading young trees on a hot west wall.

EdibleFast growingHeat tolerantScreen

Landscape layersHedging · Understory

Mature size

8–12 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide per clump

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b

Plant spacing

3–4 ft apart for a screen

Frost

Leaves damaged at 32°F; canes killed below about 28°F. Roots survive and resprout.

Special categories

EDIBLE

Hardiness guidance

USDA 9b–11; leaves burn at 32°F and canes die below about 28°F, but roots resprout

Winter chill

None

Typical harvest

Cut canes in late fall through early winter, before the first hard frost. Older canes are sweetest.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Soil chemistry

Loose, fertile soil with plenty of compost. Tolerates alkaline soil if fed regularly.

Required microclimate

Placement is part of the growing system.

Sunny, sheltered spot. A south or west wall gives the longest growing season before frost.

Cold hardiness

Cover in a hard freeze below 32°F

Leaves brown anywhere from 32°F down to about 25°F, but the stalks hold up until roughly 22 to 25°F. Harvest the canes before a hard freeze is forecast, and the roots will resprout in spring.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 32°F

Heat tolerance

Takes full sun and heat

The more sun the better, so full west sun is fine. In dry Phoenix heat it needs a lot of water, or the leaf edges crisp.

Sources:

journals.flvc.org , lsuagcenter.com

Right plant, right place

Will Sugarcane grow at your Arizona property?

Spreads slowly from the base. Use it as a summer screen or living shade for young tropical trees, and plan for a bare look after frost.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full sun, including reflected heat from block walls.

Water

Irrigation

Moderate to high in summer. Water deeply two to three times a week in the hottest months; cut back sharply in winter.

Fruit set

Pollination

Not needed; grown for the stalks.

Harvest

How to use it

Peel and chew the cane, or press it for fresh juice.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Sugarcane thrive

1
Feed with a nitrogen fertilizer or compost every 4 to 6 weeks from April to September.
2
Cut frost-killed canes to the ground in late winter; new shoots come up in spring.
3
Divide clumps every few years to keep them from crowding.
4
Wear gloves; the leaf edges are sharp.

Read the horticultural reference ↗