Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) - live plant

• A live, rooted plant
• Tropical grass to grow in a pot or greenhouse
• Packaging suited to live plants

Sugar cane is a member of the Poaceae, in other words a grass, just like wheat or bamboo. It forms a clump of solid, jointed stems, segmented by clearly visible nodes and clothed in long, ribbon-like leaves with sharp edges.

It is these stems that store the sugar, in the form of sucrose accumulated in the pith. Each node bears a dormant bud capable of producing a whole new plant.

It wants what every tropical plant wants: heat, sun, water and rich soil. It is a hungry plant that uses a lot during active growth.

It cannot tolerate frost. In our climate, grow it in a large pot, outdoors in high summer, and bring it in for the winter to a bright, frost-free place, cutting back watering sharply.

Propagating it is a pleasure: lay a section of stem bearing two or three nodes horizontally, barely buried in a moist, warm substrate, and each node will produce a new shoot.

Can it be planted in open ground in France?
Only on the mildest Mediterranean fringe, and even then. Everywhere else, pot culture with overwintering is the way to go.

How do you take cuttings?
By laying a section of stem with its nodes in a moist, warm substrate. This is the method used on plantations.

How tall does it grow?
Easily 1.50 to 2 metres in a pot in a good season, more in a heated greenhouse.

Should I be careful with the leaves?
Yes, their edges are finely toothed and sharp. Handle with gloves.

Also worth exploring: our edible plants and our rare plants.